Agent Kara Morgan
by VicktorAlexB
Summary: The BAU is called to Chicago to assist with Derek Morgan’s baby cousin,Kara,a.k.a. Agent Morgan,on a case that involves her.Kara also has a history with Aaron Hotchner and helps to bring Morgan and Garcia together at last. D.M/P.G & K.M/A.H
1. Meet Kara Morgan

This is my first story. So please be gentle with the reviews and the critiques! *Smile* This is a story about the BAU being called to Chicago to assist with Derek Morgan's baby cousin, Kara, a.k.a. Agent Morgan, on a case that involves her. (Kara has never been mentioned, I made her up) We also find out that Kara has a history with Aaron Hotchner. Kara's presence around the BAU is certain to stir things up, and we come face to face with an UnSub that makes "The Reaper" look tame.

*I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS OR ITS CHARACTERS! I just really LOVE the show. However, Agent Kara Morgan is my own creation*

Agent Kara Morgan looked down at the mangled remains of eight-year-old Timothy Angles and sighed with remorse. This was body number six. Six children all under the age of ten who'd been abducted, raped, beaten, and killed. All six bodies were found at different schools within the county. Sighing again, Kara stood gracefully, her many years of ballet training evident with the movement as she stood from her crouching position, her dark brown eyes growing steely from rage and determination. Turning to look at her second-in-command, her milk chocolate skin had a slightly reddish tint to it as she grounded out between clenched teeth, "Call them…now. And make sure you tell them that I want my cousin Derek Morgan here as soon as possible." She turned back to the spot where Timothy's body lay and noticed the letter stuck underneath the child's shirt, just like on the bodies of the other children. Slowly removing the letter, Kara quickly scanned the words written there and felt the air leave her lungs. "Agent James!?" she yelled out, "Tell them it's life or death…my life or death." As she turned back to the note that now bore her name written on it she could only hope that her cousin Derek and his coworkers at the BAU could help on this case.

JJ rushed past the desks of Prentiss and Reid speaking in rushed tones, "Conference room, now!" Without hesitation the two SSAs stood quickly and joined Hotch & Rossi who were rushing into the conference room. In the room standing and moving in an agitated fashion was SSA Derek Morgan and Tech Analyst Penelope Garcia.

"Is everyone here?" Derek asked, his voice a low growl.

"Yes," JJ answered, her voice quivering.

Everyone else in the room looked at each other in a very confused manner. What was wrong with Morgan and JJ?

In a surprising change Derek grabbed the remote to start the presentation to the case.

"We've been called into Chicago by Head Agent Morgan on a case involving six dead children, all under the age of ten, all raped, beaten, and murdered," Derek began. He ignored the room as they gasped. "The office there delayed in calling us because the first child, a young boy was killed six months ago…the other five was killed within the last three weeks."

"Five bodies in three weeks? The UnSub is devolving and quickly," Reid stated matter-of-factly.

"That much is apparent. Due to that fact we must act quickly. Also, each body was found with a note. The first said, "How do I love thee?" and each subsequent note has continued with that sonnet. This last note, however, finally identifies who the UnSub is writing the poem to," Derek continued, his voice cracking just a bit, emotion showing through his usually tough exterior. He bowed his head for a moment as his body began to shake with fear and rage.

In an effort to ignore Morgan's display of emotion, Reid asked innocently, "So who is this UnSub killing for?"

Derek looked at Penelope who had reached over to hold his hand in a show of comfort, having already received all of the information beforehand. Inhaling deeply, Derek pushed the button on the remote to change the image on the screen.

He whispered, "My baby cousin, Agent Kara Morgan." His eyes swung sharply over to Agent Hotchner who'd whispered, "Kara" when the screen showed a picture of the agent. Choosing to ignore Hotch's outburst for the moment Derek turned to Prentiss who'd begun to speak.

"The UnSub is killing for your cousin?" Prentiss asked.

"I think that maybe the UnSub is killing to mock my cousin," Derek replied.

"That's one theory," Rossi noted," however, I think that Prentiss is right on this one. I think this UnSub think he's killing FOR your cousin. That these dead children are gifts to her."

The group got extremely quiet at that statement and then Penelope said the one thing that they were all afraid to utter, "So this UnSub will stop killing when he gets your cousin or he'll stop when he kills her?"

No one moved or spoke for a minute. Without moving an inch Derek forced out the words, "Grab your ready bags, you too Garcia, wheels up in 30 minutes."

Penelope Garcia and Derek Morgan were close. Very close. Best friends actually. So she knew all about his baby cousin, Kara Morgan, who was the daughter of his father's brother. She knew that at the young age of 28, Kara had been promoted to Head Agent of the FBI's Chicago office. She knew that Derek saw Kara as his baby sister, knew that he worried about her, and she knew that the two of them talked once a week about everything. She even knew that her name had come up atleast once or twice in their conversations because she and Kara had begun texting and talking themselves. So she wasn't surprised that Derek was upset about this case, but when the room emptied out and he grabbed his cellphone, called his cousin, and broke down and cried when she answered the phone, Penelope realized that Kara meant a whole lot more to Derek than she could have ever imagined.

"Hello? Agent Morgan," was all that Derek needed to hear before the emotions that he'd held so tightly at bay burst forth. It felt as if he couldn't breath. Kara, his baby cousin, his little "Apple Head" was in danger, one way or another, and he felt helpless to protect her from that danger.

"Derek? Derek, is that you?" Kara asked, her voice shaking from fear. She'd never admit it, but seeing her name on this latest letter had completely freaked her out. She'd gone to her office to try to pull herself together, however, hearing Derek's voice made her feel like she was 12 all over again, crying on her big cousin Derek's 20 year old shoulder about the first boy who'd ever broken her heart. Derek hadn't cried with her, merely given her advice and told her that she'd grow up to be beautiful and then she'd be the one breaking all of the hearts. Kara had taken his words to heart and had done all she could to stay in shape, ballet, cheerleading, track, yoga and Pilates and 16 years later, Derek's words had proven true. Derek had been her rock then, and the years that followed as she struggled to make a name for herself in law enforcement, helping her as she tried to be seen as something more than "Agent Derek Morgan's baby cousin" when she finally made it in the FBI. He'd even flown all the way to Chicago and held her as she cried over the end of a three week whirlwind affair that she'd had with a man she knew that she'd never end up with. She'd never told Derek that man's name and he'd never asked, just held her as she cried and when her tears had subsided, he proceeded to drink with her, cooked for her, and then helped her make up an area in her guest bedroom where she could work out all of her aggression on a standing punching bag. She'd been there for him also. Opening her door to him when he'd finally come clean about Carl Buford and rubbing his back as he vomited time and time again when he shared the story. Derek hadn't cried then, though his body shook from unshed tears. The last time she'd heard Derek cry like he was crying now was when he'd called to tell her that Penelope Garcia, his Baby Girl, had been shot.

Composing himself, Derek answered Kara after taking a few gulping breaths, "Yeah, it's me, Apple Head," he said, trying to inject a teasing note in his voice.

He heard Kara's soft laughter over the phone and it went a long way toward easing the tension in his shoulders, and then she sighed and he tensed back up. "Are you all on your way?" she questioned.

He knew then that she had to be in her office, because she sounded so feminine and vulnerable, all tones of authority disappeared.

"Yeah, we'll be on the jet in like 20 minutes. I just wanted to check on you before we headed that way. How are Uncle Ant and Aunt Tina taking this?" he asked, knowing that Kara hadn't told her parents about the most recent note containing her name.

"Aww c'mon cuz. You know how they worry. I didn't tell them," Kara groaned out in frustration, sounding like a spoiled 12 year old girl.

Chuckling softly Derek grabbed Penelope's hand for comfort as they finally left the conference room. He was so glad that she hadn't left him. She was his rock, and he was trying so hard to be brave and strong for his cousin, but the thought that anyone could be coming after any member of his family, frightened him down to his core. Kara tried to be strong like him, he was after all, her idol…her words, not his, but she was still his _baby_ cousin and he knew that she was frightened. Her fear served to scare him even more. If Penelope hadn't been there, Derek didn't think that he'd be able to laugh on the phone with her right now. "I'll be there soon Apple Head, just hang tight," Derek said as he grabbed his ready bag from his office. As he stepped out into the hallway, he smiled when he saw Penelope waiting for him, her ready bag and laptop bag slung over her right shoulder.

"I will D. See you when you get here," Kara stated, "Oh, and Derek?"

"Yeah?" Derek asked just as he prepared to step onto the plane.

"Thank Pen for the text message that she just sent me. Tell her that the "S" on my Superwoman suit is still right side up for the moment," Kara replied giggling. That sound served to lighten Derek's spirit.

"Will do," Derek laughed for the first time that morning. Leave it to his Baby Girl to make everyone feel better. It was one of the main reasons that he loved her so much. It was a love that went beyond friendship, although she didn't know it. He knew that he had to tell her soon, but not now, not when Kara was in danger.

He heard Kara's door open and knew that "Apple Head" was being replaced by "Head Agent Morgan."

"See you in a few hours Agent Morgan," she stated firmly, the authority back in her voice, just seconds before hanging up the phone, not waiting for a reply.

"See ya Apple Head," Derek said affectionately, clipping his phone back on his belt as he boarded the plane. Looking at the other members of the BAU, he stated in a calm, steady voice, "I suggest you all try to rest up, we'll be briefed by Agent Morgan when we get there. We won't be getting much sleep until we catch this UnSub."

The rest of the team nodded, breathing easier now that Derek seemed to be back in control. They all closed their eyes and prepared to rest…all of them except two of course. Hotch met Derek's eyes, his face flushing a bright red as he knew that Derek was going to ask him about his outburst from earlier. Turning his face to the wall, Hotch tried not to think of the three weeks that he spent with Kara _Johnson_. She'd told him that her last name was _Johnson_. He wondered why she hadn't told him her real last name? Pulling out his cell phone, he sent her a very brief text message and then closed his eyes and tried to nap himself: _I'm with Derek, he doesn't know about Washington. Ready to see you again Kara._


	2. Kara Meets the BAU

***I do not own Criminal Minds, CBS does. I do own Agent Kara Morgan and Agent Robert James, however.***

The members of the BAU walked into the Chicago office and stopped. They had never walked into a police station or a FBI office where it seemed as if the entire office had stopped to wait on them. No one was moving around, everyone was watching the door.

"This is kinda weird, huh? The way they're all watching us," Prentiss whispered to JJ, who smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

Their conversation came to a halt when they noticed a man walking towards them quickly. The agent came to a halt directly in front of Derek and shook his hand.

"SSA Derek Morgan?" the agent asked, his deep voice rumbling from his chest.

"Yes, and this is the BAU team. This is SSAs Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Dr. Spencer Reid, and Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia," Derek responded, introducing the team with a nod in each of their directions.

"It's nice to meet all of you. I'm Agent Robert James, the second-in-command here."

"Nice to meet you too. Can I ask why it seems as if the office has come to a standstill?" Rossi asked, his eyes moving over the room once again and taking in all the agents that were watching the conversational exchange.

Agent James looked around the room and sighed. "We're all a little concerned and a lot pissed off that this psycho is targeting Agent Morgan," he answered, "She's very important to all of us."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Derek responded sarcastically.

"Actually, psycho isn't the right term to describe the UnSub. A psycho is someone who is very disorganized, mentally handicapped, and kills randomly and without purpose, this UnSub is very organized and kills with a purpose, his victims are chosen carefully as a gift to Agent Morgan, he'd be better termed as a serial killer or a sociopath," Reid stated matter-of-factly.

The room began to buzz with that statement, the other agents in the room beginning to talk about the serial killer who'd seemed to be raping and killing children for Agent Morgan and suddenly came to a halt when the subject of their conversation walked out of her office, tossing her wavy black hair over her shoulder as she spoke on the phone to other agents out in the field.

"I don't care if you have to drive all the way down to Florida! I want that entire area processed right!" she was saying, her voice filled with authority and command.

The reactions of the BAU were mixed. Derek smiled with pride at his baby cousin, who hadn't let the current situation stop her from doing her job. Penelope chuckled softly as she watched Kara, certain she could see a cape flying out behind the Head Agent. Rossi looked at Agent Morgan in admiration as she talked on the phone and scanned files all at the same time. Reid gasped, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen someone as beautiful as Derek's cousin. Prentiss and JJ found themselves amazed, it seemed as though the Morgans had some really good genes, Kara was just as beautiful as her cousin. Then there was Hotch. As soon as he'd seen her, the three weeks that they'd spent together in Washington came flooding back…

**Flashback**

_Agent Aaron Hotchner walked down off the platform where he'd just finished giving a presentation on the UnSub that kills for religious purposes when he saw her. She was standing in the aisle, talking with another agent, a gorgeous smile on her face. Unlike the other agents who all wore pantsuits, she wore a suit with a skirt. A white suit with black stripes, it seemed to suit her. Hotch found himself appraising her, taking in the vision of her from her head to her feet. Her hair was pulled up on the top of her hair and pinned with curls falling down around her face. Her hair had been a light brown then. Her milk chocolate skin looked soft to the touch, her lips covered in a light pink lipstick. The suit clung to her figure. She definitely was a woman with curves, and while in shape, you could definitely tell that she appreciated food, from her generous bustline to her ample behind, Hotch found himself appreciating it all. His eyes slowly moved down her long legs, encased in nude stockings to the black high heeled shoes that she wore on her feet. Feeling eyes on him, Hotch looked up and found the object of his perusal looking back at him, a slight smirk on her face. Thanking those that stood around him, praising his presentation, he excused himself and walked towards her, meeting her halfway._

"_SSA Aaron Hotchner," he said, sticking out his hand._

"_Agent Kara…Johnson," she'd answered, hesitating._

"_Nice to meet you Kara," he'd responded, too enamored with her husky voice to pay any attention to her slight hesitation._

"_You too Aaron," she'd smiled at him._

"_So…how long have you been on the force?" he'd questioned, stumbling over the conversation. It'd been quite a while since he'd flirted with someone. Not since Hailey…a wave of sadness poured over him as he thought about his failed marriage, focusing back on Kara, Hotch found all thoughts of Hailey washed from his mind._

"_How about this Aaron…let's go have a drink and you can interrogate me all you want as I relax from my day. How about that?" Kara had suggested, a laugh in her voice._

_Nodding his head, Hotch stated, "Sounds like a great plan to me."_

_The two of them had gone to a bar next door, where they'd drank beers, played pool and danced before stumbling back to the hotel and making love all night…and every night and some mornings thereafter for the next three weeks._

**End of Flashback**

Hotch had flown back to Quantico at the end of the conference and had immediately come upon a case, and the cases hadn't stopped for quite some time. He'd never forgotten about Agent Kara though, even as he mourned the death of Hailey, he still found his mind wandering to Kara every so often. Focusing on the present, Hotch felt Derek's eyes on him as he watched Kara walk towards the group. Forcing a look of slight irritation on his face he looked around as if anxious to begin working on the case. He could only hope that he could keep up the charade, he had no idea how Derek would react to the knowledge that he had once had a brief affair with his cousin.

Kara hung up the phone and sighed. She didn't even know how it was possible. This sick, twisted killer had left no evidence at the scene, absolutely nothing. Looking up from the file in her hand she noticed her cousin Derek and what she could only assume was the BAU team surrounding him. Her eyes drifted over the group looking for _him_ as soon as her eyes fell on Aaron Hotchner, she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Had he always been this handsome and brooding? She wondered to herself as she made her way over to the group.

"Hello all. I'm Head Agent Kara Morgan," she introduced herself as she approached the team.

"It's nice to meet you finally. I'm Garcia," Penelope stepped forward with her hand outstretched.

Smiling, Kara shook Penelope's hand and glanced over at Derek whose gaze had softened when she'd begun to speak. _Interesting_, she thought to herself. She shook the hands of the rest of the team, struggling to not react when Derek _introduced _her to Hotch. The two of them glanced at each other briefly and nodded their heads in greeting before stepping away from each other. Inhaling in an effort to compose herself, Kara turned to look back at the group.

"We've got a room all set up for you guys. I'll go ahead and brief you. The killer left absolutely no evidence of who he might be at the scene. No fingerprints, no tread marks, no footprints…it's as if he dumped the bodies of these children and disappeared," she began as she turned to walk towards the room in the back that she'd set up for the BAU to use. As the group stepped into the room, she heard their collective groans of agony as they saw the pictures of the six dead children.

"The children are different genders, different races, different social classes. Their parents have no connection to each other, they don't even play at the same parks," she said in frustration as she watched the team peruse the files before them and the pictures on the board.

"So what's their connection? There has to be one," Derek asked as he stood next to her.

Looking up at her big cousin, Kara struggled not to shiver in fear. He'd notice that and he'd want to get in all fierce protective mode and start babying her. She couldn't let that happen. She had to stay strong and maintained. Just like he always was. She could do her job and she could do it without breaking into tears every time she came upon the dead body of a child…or six.

"I'm their connection," she answered and watched as the entire team froze and looked at her.

"What?" Derek asked her, his eyes narrowing.

"Every weekend I go to different centers in the Chicago area. Youth centers, Rehab centers for children who are receiving physical therapy, I go to ballet centers, karate centers…I go there and I teach classes, I go there and I counsel the kids there, I go and listen to them as they tell me their fears and their dreams…I do it every weekend, even if I'm only there for an hour or two before I have to come into the office. I'm their only connection," she answered, looking up at Derek, her eyes filling with tears, "this sonofabitch is killing these kids because of me." Inhaling deeply, she composed herself before turning back to the team.

"Which is why we have to find him, and soon. I can't have another death on my head," she stated firmly.

She knew that the team would be profiling her soon…digging into her life and going over every person that she'd ever met to figure out who would be killing children for her. She was prepared for it. She'd do whatever she had to do in order to save the children of Chicago. She gave a small smile at Penelope who'd grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"Okay, so we need to find out who you've come in contact with in the last six months that would want to kill children for you," Rossi stated, turning his gaze back to the board.

"What about these children? Were you more involved with them than the other children in these centers?" Prentiss asked as she looked over the children.

"Hmmm…" Kara thought to herself, "Not particularly. I try to spend as much time with one child as I do with all the others."

"What about the classes that you taught? Did all of these kids go to the same one?" Reid asked as he studied each photograph.

"They all came to my poetry classes at their respective centers," Kara answered thoughtfully. She saw the entire team look at each other and realized what she'd just said.

"My poetry classes!? That's their connection? But they were all at different centers!" she said.

"It really doesn't matter, this UnSub sees that as a connection. Have you ever noticed any adults around when you hold these classes?" Derek asked, his gaze flickering to Hotch who'd been awfully quiet the whole time.

"There are adults around the whole time Derek," Kara said as she crossed her arms and then dropped her hands to her hips, "the parents of these kids are there sometimes, the center workers are there, other volunteers, other agents, politicians, doctors, teachers, nurses, vendors…at one time or another they've all been in the room while I did a poetry reading."

"There's something special about this particular poem though, the UnSub seems very attached to it. Did you do this poem at every center?" Reid questioned.

Thinking hard, Kara stated, "Yes. But that particular one I did differently from the other poems that I read."

Noticing Hotch's eyes swing to her she swallowed deeply. "How so?" he asked.

"Well, I read the other poems to the kids…but this one, I had a friend of mine put the poem to music and I sang it to the kids," she responded, her voice quivering from nervousness for a moment.

Derek looked from Hotch to Kara and noticed that the two of them were trying very hard to not look at each other. He knew that they'd met before, they'd had some type of interaction, there was no other way to explain their reaction to each other. Looking at Penelope he realized that she'd noticed it too as her eyes moved between the two of them.

"So maybe that's the reason this UnSub is using this particular poem. You sang it and he probably thought you were singing it to him," Prentiss responded.

"No disrespect, but is her singing really that good? How do we know that it's because of her singing that the UnSub decided to obsess over her?" JJ questioned, "I mean, I know that stalkers and obsessive UnSubs need no provocation, but for a crime this brutal, and one that's involving children, how do we know that it's her singing that's causing this UnSub to react this way?"

Without hesitation Kara opened her mouth and began singing "Endless Love." After a few minutes she stopped singing and looked around the room. Everyone seemed frozen, everyone except Derek and Hotch, both of whom had heard her sing before.

"You're getting better cuz," Derek said smirking when he noticed the reaction of the group.

"I stand corrected, I can understand now why your singing would grab the obsession of the UnSub," JJ joked.

"You have an amazing voice," Rossi said smiling.

"Thank you," Kara responded.

"Yeah, the entire family wanted her to pursue singing, rather than a career in Law Enforcement," Derek stated, "but she's stubborn of course, another Morgan trait."

"Hey, I wanted to be like my big cousin D," Kara teased, nudging Derek with her shoulder.

Kara felt better after singing and teasing Derek. He always managed to comfort her, even if he was teasing her for her career choice. Glancing shyly at Hotch, she wondered what he was thinking. She would have been amazed if she'd known that he was remembering the last time she sang to him.

**Flashback**

_Hotch laughed as Kara flopped back on the bed, groaning loudly, their bodies covered in sweat after their "energetic" physical workout of the last few hours. He watched as she closed her eyes and began to softly hum and then began to sing softly._

"_What are you singing?" he'd asked her after listening to her for a few minutes._

"_Unforgettable by Nat King Cole," she'd answered smiling softly at him._

"_You have a beautiful voice," he'd told her before kissing her gently on the lips._

"_Why thank you, if you keep complimenting me though, I'm going to have to thank you properly," she'd laughed._

"_Did I mention that you're beautiful also?" he'd said his face a picture of seriousness._

_She'd looked at him then and rolled on top of him, "Why Agent Hotchner, let me thank you for that wonderful compliment."_

_An hour later he felt properly thanked._

**End of Flashback**

**Hotch felt everyone's eyes on him and knew that he'd missed something important. "I'm sorry, I was thinking, what was the question?" he questioned, looking at Rossi.**

"**Derek just said for you and I to go to the last crime scene. Prentiss and Reid are going to go to the center where the last young boy attended. Morgan and JJ are going to talk to the parents of the young boy," Rossi explained, his eyes dancing with amusement that he'd caught Hotch woolgathering.**

"**That's a good idea," Hotch nodded.**

"**I'll start looking through records to see if I can find any other connections and similarities," Garcia volunteered, "I'll look through your records also Agent Morgan." Kara nodded and said absentmindedly, "Call me Kara," before turning to Rossi and Hotch, "I'll come with you to the crime scene."**

"**Kar-" Derek began.**

"**Derek, I need to go back. I want to see if they see something that we missed," she said to him, "I'll be fine, I promise."**

**Derek nodded before looking directly at Hotch, "Look after my cousin for me will you?"**

**Knowing then that Derek had accurately picked up on the tension between him and Kara, Hotch nodded his head and turned to leave the office, followed by Rossi and Kara.**


	3. The Goddess

**Thank you all so much for the reviews and for adding the story to your alerts and your favorites. I appreciate it very much. Because of you I am inspired to write more!**

***I do NOT own Criminal Minds. I just love the show…a lot.***

Derek Morgan prided himself on being a man of action and a man of strength, as he stood listening to JJ talk to Mr. and Mrs. Angles he found that he hated feeling helpless and standing around doing nothing. Which is exactly what he felt like at that moment. He listened as the Angles talked about how their son was such a good boy and how he loved going to the center with growing impatience. He wondered why it seemed as if JJ was placating them rather than coming right out with it. He glanced out the window and thought about Kara when she was 8. He'd been 16 at the time and had become a lot more serious than any 16 year old had the right to be. Between watching his father die, Carl Buford molesting him, and finding the dead body of John Doe, he'd had a right to be. It had been Kara's birthday and she'd wanted him to teach her how to play football. He gave a small smile as he remembered how she'd tried to mimic his every step, hand motion, and even his facial expressions. He'd started calling her "Apple Head" because she was always eating apples whenever it came time for a football lesson. She'd always tried to hang with him and his friends, even though they were so much older. Sighing softly, he returned his focus back onto the conversation taking place in front of him, and it was not a moment too soon, Mrs. Angles had just told JJ about a man, with black hair and strange looking eyes who'd talked to her about her son and his connection to "Agent Kara."

Interrupting JJ before she could finish her question Derek asked, "What did he ask you exactly Mrs. Angles?"

Lifting sad eyes to him, she quoted from memory: "He said, 'Agent Kara is amazing isn't she? She's like a goddess with her voice and her features. Then I said yes that she was amazing. He looked at me and asked me how much did my son love Agent Kara. I told him that Timothy loved her so much that he was always trying to be with her even when it was time for her to leave. Then he got really quiet and said, 'Yes, I imagine that he would want to be with a goddess all the time.' Then he turned around and left."

Turning to JJ, the two agents shared a look of bewilderment as they realized that their UnSub saw Kara as a deity and that he was making sacrifices to this "goddess." Thanking Mr. and Mrs. Angles, Derek and JJ tuned for the door. Derek unclipped his phone and looked at the caller id, it was Rossi.

"Morgan," he answered the phone hurriedly.

"Morgan, the rest of the team is already here, you and JJ need to hurry up and get over here. We're at 2nd Street Elementary School," Rossi said, his voice sounding pained.

Looking at JJ, Derek took off for the SUV, "What's wrong Rossi? What happened?" Climbing in behind the wheel, Derek took off towards the school, JJ in the passenger seat, her face a picture of worry and concern.

"It's the UnSub, he's killed two more children," Rossi said.

Kara felt like she was losing her mind. She looked down at the bodies of Kristen Jumuniez and Bradley Avontine and felt tears streaming down her face. She jerked away from Hotch who'd grabbed her arm to turn her away from the scene.

"Why is he doing this?" she asked him, "Why?"

She buried her head in Hotch's chest as she cried harshly. Quickly composing herself when she heard the wails from Rosalia Jumuniez followed by the screams of Samhuel Avontine upon finding the bodies of their children surrounded by cones and behind the police tape. Wiping the tears from her face she nodded to Hotch before walking over to Rosalia.

"Lo Siento Senora Jumuniez. Mi corazon es de morada por tu y tu familia," Kara whispered brokenly, telling the mother in Spanish how sorry she was and that her heart was breaking for her and her family.

"It's not your fault Kara," the mother cried as she clutched her husband's arm. Squeezing her arm before she walked over to Mr. Avontine, Kara had to stop herself from telling the mother that it was her fault. They'd found two more letters, one on each of the children and while still continuing with the prose, the letters had spoken to her directly. She knew that until they found out who the UnSub was, that he would continue to kill. She hugged Mr. Avontine and gave him her card before turning to walk back to the members of the BAU. She got there just as Derek ran up from the SUV. He stopped short when he saw the two dead children. One Hispanic, the other Middle Eastern. He turned to look at her and she shook her head as she saw him coming towards her, she knew that he wanted to be the protector and shield her from the horrors of the bodies, but she was the one who'd found the bodies. She'd been with Hotch and Rossi and they'd been driving back to the office when she remembered that they'd forgotten to let the 2nd Street Elementary School know about the UnSub. Deciding to just drive over instead of call, when she'd gotten there she'd noticed dogs in the playground sniffing something. Walking over, she'd stopped short when she'd seen what it was. Picking up her phone, she'd called for backup and for the Crime Scene Investigators before turning to Hotch and Rossi who stood behind her. She'd called the school and had them clear it out, before calling the parents of the children found. She knew these two, just like the other six, she remembered their names.

Gasping she raced to Derek and grabbed his arm, "Derek! I know the other connection!"

"What?" Derek asked as he tried to focus on her words.

"I sang the poem at the different centers right?" she waited as the BAU team nodded, "Well, I sang the poem there three times. The first time I sang it alone, the second time I called up four kids and taught them the song, then the third time we all sang it together." Looking at the group, she said, "All of the kids, all the dead kids, were all ones who I picked to sing with me."

"So the UnSub thinks that you chose the children that you wanted him to sacrifice to him by having them sing with you," Rossi stated.

"What?" Kara asked appalled.

"We found out that the UnSub sees you as a goddess. He worships you. He's in essence sacrificing these children to you. He's waiting for you to appear to him. He's waiting for a gift from you, his reward for offering up these pure sacrifices," Derek said.

"But…why me? Why?" Kara asked, her voice shaking in horror as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"He heard you sing and you appeared to him to be a deity. It's not uncommon for those who suffer from delusions to often latch onto an object as a focus of their obsession. It's likely that he comes from a very religious background, one that focused in on offering sacrifices to a god to show one's devotion," Reid stated, his years of research and reading evident.

"Let's gather the team and give them the profile," Hotch stated, wrapping his arm around Kara and leading her to the SUV.

The rest of the BAU team looked at each other in shock as the two of them walked away from each other, Kara leaning into Hotch as if she trusted him implicitly.

"Well…I'll be…who'd have thought-" Prentiss began, her voice holding just a touch of jealousy.

"I did. I figured something was up," Derek said, his voice growing cold, "Let's give out this profile and then Hotch and I can talk about his inappropriate relationship with my cousin."

The others smiled at Derek's tone and followed him to the waiting SUVs. He was right, they needed to focus on finding the UnSub before any more children died and then they could worry about who was with who and who wasn't happy about it.

Hotch waited until the room quieted down before he began speaking. "The UnSub we're looking for is a Caucasian male, between the ages of 30 and 38, who was raised in a very religious home. One where human sacrifices were often talked about. This UnSub probably talks about world religions a lot. He hangs around the centers. He has time to be at every center that Agent Morgan has ever frequented and his presence there is not noticed or even commented on. He's smart enough to not leave any tracks at any scene because it's all covered over. We found freshly laid dirt at the crime scene where Timothy Angles's body was found. So we're looking for someone who is in possession of landscaping materials. He will seem overly observant of anyone who is paying attention to Agent Morgan. He sees her as a goddess and it will only be a short while before he will seek her out to find out why she hasn't rewarded his sacrifices with her presence. He is seeking out all of the children that sang with her at all of the centers. He feels as if she chose them to be sacrificed. He blends well with the crowd, but overreacts at the slightest mention of Agent Morgan, being overly enthusiastic if someone is praising her and aggressively angry if someone is criticizing her. He is growing frenzied and will increase the killings until he's stopped. He's killed two in the last 24 hours. He's waiting for Agent Morgan to find him and to bestow praises upon him for his sacrifices. We have to find him soon or the children of Chicago and Agent Morgan will never be safe," Hotch finished with the profile, his voice tight with barely concealed anger. He understood Derek's frenzied need to find this UnSub. As long as this sick, twisted, serial killer was free, no child that went to a center was safe, and neither was Kara. Looking at her where she sat on a desk, Hotch was reminded that underneath her usual authoritative demeanor was a vulnerable woman, a woman whose life was in danger. The fear of her coming to harm reminded him of Hailey's death at the hands of "The Reaper." Sighing, he turned his gaze away from Kara and found his gaze trapped by Derek's. He knew that when this was all over, he'd have a lot of explaining to do, but that would have to wait.

"Let's get this profile out to the media and to every school and center in the area," Hotch said to JJ.

JJ left to give the profile and Kara turned to the other agents in the room.

"Okay, you heard it agents, I want you on alert. There is a mandatory curfew for all children under high school age in the area in place. If you see them walking, I want them picked up. All buses are to drop off each child in front of their home and make sure that each child gets in safely. All centers are closed until further notice. I want this sonofabitch caught…and fast," Kara declared, "Let's get out there, and keep your guard up." The room cleared out.

Two days later everyone was on pins and needles, and Kara was beginning to despair of finding the UnSub when Derek walked over to her and grabbed her arm. "We gotta go talk to Penelope," he started as they walked back to the room that they'd occupied the morning before, "I've got her cross-referencing all the names of every landscaper and janitor at every center to see which names repeat. Then I want you to let me know which of the names sound familiar," he concluded as the two of them walked into the room.

Kara watched as Penelope typed furiously away on her laptop and the other computers that surrounded it.

"Derek, I've got three names that repeat at each center that worked in any fashion there. All three of them were landscapers," she huffed out.

"What are their names?" Kara asked coming around to look over Penelope's shoulder.

"Don't hover," Penelope laughed. When Kara backed away, she continued, "Edward Stewart, Peter Carlisle, and Arthur Collins."

Kara gasped.

"Kara? What is it?" Derek asked.

"Arthur Collins…the last time I saw him…" Kara began, not noticing that the rest of the BAU team had gathered, "he called me goddess. Repeatedly. He kept saying that I deserved the best. I didn't think anything of it. I just thought he was flirting. I even agreed with him and told him that I just needed to find a man who'd give it to me," she finished, her voice cracking with guilt.

"That's what led him to believe that you were mandating him to do it," Rossi stated.

Pulling up the photo of Arthur Collins, Penelope read off his record. "Arthur Collins, 36, raised in Egypt until the age of 10, his father was a history professor…a religious history professor. Mother left when Arthur was 12, mother died in a fire when Arthur was 18, his father a year later in a car accident. An image of the god Rah was found painted on both driveways. Arthur never married, never had any children. He began working in the Chicago area about 10 months ago."

"Do you think that he killed his parents?" Reid questioned.

"They were probably his first kills. His first sacrifices," Hotch stated.

"Black hair and golden hazel eyes," JJ remarked as she saw his picture.

"So what was his stressor? What caused him to start killing in the first place?" Derek questioned.

Kara closed her eyes as she remembered. Whispering she said, "Six months ago was when I first met him. It was the first time I ever sang at the center. I sang "How do I love thee?" with Charlie Taylor, the first little boy that was killed. He was the little brother of the friend that helped me put the poem to music so he knew the song. I met Arthur shortly after we finished the song. He'd told me that I had a heavenly voice, I thanked him. He stood around for a while, shortly after I'd walked away, the director of the center reprimanded him for being inside with his dirty boots to listen to, and I quote 'a great agent but an amateur singer.' He was Charlie Taylor's father. I've known him for years, so I knew he was teasing. I even laughed about it."

"But Arthur didn't know that he was teasing, his adulation of you and hearing someone criticize you made him think that you would demand a sacrifice to be appeased," Hotch stated.

"But the first body was found six months ago, so why'd he stop for six months?" Prentiss asked.

"After Charlie was killed I didn't sing the song for a long time, I still went to the centers, but I didn't sing that song…I didn't sing at all, it always made me think of him, and how I still hadn't found his killer. It hurt too much. I just started singing the song again about a month ago, when one of the parents asked me why I didn't sing anymore," Kara commented.

"So Arthur thinks that this song is your command to him to bring you sacrifices, a demand for some sort of slight towards you," Hotch stated. Kara closed her eyes and groaned in agony.

They all turned to Kara as her phone rang, as she answered the team knew that she was hearing about another child that had been taken as they watched her face go from anger to disgust to guilt in a manner of seconds. "How many?" she asked. Looking at Derek she said, "Three." Shaking her head she finished the call and said, "I can't believe this! How is he getting them so fast? What's the point of the curfew if he can still get them? He grabbed them as they walked to school together. All three of them sang with me at one of the centers. Devontae Anderson, Cheryl Eugene, and Aimee Madison. I…" Kara stopped, her voice catching on a sob.

"Kara, it's not your fault," Penelope said seeing a look come into the agent's face that frightened her.

"Sure Garcia," Kara replied, "I gotta go get some air." Kara turned and walked out of the room.

"Garcia, get us an address for Arthur," Derek said five minutes after he watched Kara walk away and realized that she wasn't coming back.

"Already got it for you, my love, sending it to your phone," Penelope responded. The team turned to leave. Before Derek walked away she called him back, "Derek, is Kara okay?"

"I hope so, we need her head in this, she's going to have to play the goddess to get Arthur to stop," Derek answered, shivering at the thought of putting his cousin on the line in that way.

The two friends stopped talking when Reid ran back in.

"Derek! Kara sent Hotch a text message, she said that she called Arthur to meet her at "The Cliff". Hotch thinks she's going to offer herself to him!" Reid panted.

Derek took off running, Reid close behind him. _The Cliff, The Cliff_, Derek thought, _What cliff? As he met up with the rest of the BAU team and the other agents and SWAT preparing to follow them, he realized where Kara was meeting Arthur. Ripping his phone from the clip, he pushed the speed dial for her. While she didn't speak, he knew that she'd answered when the phone stopped ringing._

"_Kara, don't! What do you think this is going to accomplish? He's just going to kill you and escape and find another goddess, don't do it!" he yelled into the phone as he jumped behind the wheel of the SUV._

"_D, I have to. Remember you told me that this was the perfect place to play hero? Well, I've gotta be a hero. He's killed too many kids for me, I've got to save the rest of them. He's here Derek…I love you," Kara said, her voice resigned to her face and monotone, right before hanging up. Derek raced through the streets as he continued calling Kara's phone, getting her voicemail each time._

"_Dammit!" he yelled as he threw his phone to the floor._

"_Where is she going ?" Hotch asked from the passenger seat._

"_There was this building that we used to go to all the time, it had closed down a long time before, but it's where gangs went and fought and it's where a lot of plants dumped their waste. I told Kara that it was the perfect place to play the hero, because the building is slowly collapsing because of the old timber and materials," Derek answered, "I told her that only a true hero could go on the roof and come out of there alive."_

_The car got quiet as they all realized that Derek's fantastical statement as a child would prove false._

"_We have to get to her Derek," Hotch said._

"_I know, I know. Hold on Apple Head, just wait for me," Derek whispered as he pressed the gas pedal down to the floor._


	4. Kara Meets Arthur

*I do not own Criminal Minds, CBS does.*

There were three things that Kara was very sure of as she faced Arthur Collins on the roof of the abandoned building. The first was that Derek, the BAU team, and every available cop, agent and SWAT unit were on their way. The second was that the three children that Arthur had taken were still alive, he'd assured her of that, right before bowing to her, he wanted her to witness this sacrifice. And the last thing was that she was scared out of her mind. She'd faced criminals before. She'd actually single-handedly taken down three guys that were all in a gang, who were going around selling drugs to kids. She hadn't been afraid then, she'd had a healthy dose of adrenaline pumping through her veins as she used karate, even some ballet leaps and turns, to render the group helpless. That had been easy. But, standing here, facing Arthur Collins, a delusional serial killer, who thought that she was a goddess and that he was killing for her, Kara felt nothing but icy fear in her bloodstream. Smiling tightly, she nodded to Arthur to stand up.

"Thank you for coming again, Arthur," she said, her voice huskier than normal.

"It was my deepest pleasure, goddess," Arthur answered, "I knew that all it would take was the right number of sacrifices and you would come to me."

Inhaling deeply, Kara tried desperately to maintain the goddess façade and to not vomit all over him…or cry hysterically.

"And I have come. Where are the children that you have now, Arthur?" she asked, hearing cars squealing to a stop below.

"They are in the shed across the street, goddess. They are waiting to be offered to you," he answered, his eyes gleaming with joy.

Kara struggled not to look at Arthur with shock and fear. The way he looked at her, it was as if he would do absolutely anything for her…apparently, that was true. He'd killed eight children for her…eight children. Sighing brokenly, Kara closed her eyes and tried not to cry. When she opened her eyes, Arthur had returned to bowing, only this time he seemed to be hysterical. He pounded the roof with his fists as he said, "I'm sorry goddess. I have upset you, I should have already offered them to you. I just thought that you would like to watch. I'm sorry goddess, I'm sorry." Over and over he said this, his voice rising, getting louder. Kara raised to the edge of the building, whistled and once she'd captured the attention of Rossi, Prentiss, and Reid on the ground, she pointed across the street, they got her meaning and raced to the shed. Returning back to Arthur, Kara stumbled as she felt the roof begin to shake. Looking around, she knew why. Agents were running into the building to apprehend Arthur. They were going to make the building collapse if they continued. She only wanted two fatalities today, if there were to be any. Arthur, because he was sick, twisted, demented, and had killed eight children…and herself, for being the cause of it all.

The door to the roof opened and Kara saw Derek and Hotch standing there, weapons raised. Arthur stood up and turned. Seeing their guns raised and pointed, his delusional mind told him that they'd come for Kara, his goddess, with a yell, he grabbed her.

"Not the goddess!! No!" he screamed at them.

Kara's eyes were wide and for the first time, she let fear wash over her. When Arthur grabbed her she felt the roof shift and there was a crack appearing where they stood. She looked at Derek and Hotch and shook her head.

Raising his hands in surrender, Derek crouched down to place the gun on top of the roof. "Hey, it's okay Arthur. Take it easy, no one wants to hurt the goddess," he said, trying to maintain order as he watched Arthur spiral.

"Arthur, can you tell me why you tortured those kids? Why did you rape them, beat them, and then kill them?" Kara whispered, needing to know.

Arthur turned to her, his expression softening. "Their bodies had to be ready. Sexually and in order to have a proper sacrifice, blood had to be shed before the sacrifice could be made. Haven't I made you happy?" Arthur said, his golden hazel eyes wide as he stared at her. Kara looked at Hotch out of the corner of her eye, his gun still trained on Arthur. She watched as Derek tried to walk slowly behind Arthur to grab him and then she felt the roof shift again and the crack started to grow. Derek wouldn't get to them in time, she knew that now.

"No more sacrifices, Arthur. I don't want any more," Kara whispered brokenly.

"But goddess, how will your anger be appeased," Arthur questioned.

The ground shifted as Arthur stepped forward a little.

"I will appease my anger another way, Arthur, but no more," Kara pleaded, "for me, please. No more."

Staring at her for a long time, Arthur smiled and then fell to his knees, "As you wish, goddess," he said.

Kara sighed and then stepping behind Arthur, she handcuffed him and stood him up. She stood still as the crack in the roof continued to grow, watching Derek as he noticed the crack underneath her feet. She gasped as the roof began to sink. Pushing Arthur towards Derek, she yelled out, "Derek! Get off the roof and take Arthur with you!"

"I'm not leaving you Kara!" Derek yelled back, his grip tightening on Arthur.

"Just go! Dammit!" Kara said as the roof shifted more.

Hotch raced forward, "I'll get her Derek!" he said.

"Aaron! Don't you dare!" Kara gritted out.

The roof shifted again and when the door burst open to let in SWAT, Kara felt the part of the roof she was standing on, break away and she felt herself beginning to fall. Screaming out, Kara had never actually imagined herself dieing this way.

"Kara!" she heard Derek and Hotch yell out, seconds before she found herself floundering to grab a side of the roof that was still attached.


	5. The Aftermath

You guys ROCK with the reviews! Sorry that you had to wait a while for this chapter, usually I'm right on top of it, but would you believe that I got extremely sick after writing Chapter 4? But, I push through! Kara is demanding that her story is written and Morgan & Garcia are aching for some time and Hotch wants some more loving. LOL. So here is Chapter 5...finally!

*I don't own Criminal Minds…I wish I wrote for them, or acted on the show…but alas, CBS owns it and I'm only a fan.*

**For years to come, Derek Morgan would not be able to think about the next half hour without crying. He watched as the ground beneath Kara gave way and she began to fall, he heard her yell his name, then he heard her cry Hotch's name. The both of them yelled her name and dove for her as she launched herself at the broken edge of the roof. Down below them on the ground, the rest of the BAU team, with agents from the Chicago office, SWAT, and the three rescued children looked up and yelled at Kara also. Derek felt his heart stop. It literally stopped. It started again when Kara landed half on the edge of the roof. He and Hotch tried to crawl closer to her, but the roof kept cracking. He looked helplessly at Kara, her face now bruised and bleeding, a large gash on her arm. She was breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face as she tried desperately to stay on the roof.**

"**Goddess!" he heard Arthur yell out behind him.**

"**Get him the hell outta here!" Derek yelled out to the members of SWAT that still remained on the roof. Turning back to Kara when the SWAT members dragged Arthur Collins off the roof, Derek felt helpless again. Growling in frustration, he tried to figure out some kind of way to rescue his cousin.**

"**Hang on Apple Head!" he yelled out.**

"**Derek! Get off the roof!" Kara huffed out as she once again attempted to swing her legs up on the roof.**

"**I'm NOT leaving you!" he growled as he laid on his stomach and began to slide towards the edge where Hotch was stretching out his hands towards Kara.**

"**Kara baby, c'mon, don't be stubborn," he heard Hotch whisper.**

"**Why the hell are you calling my cousin baby," he ground out to Hotch between clenched teeth.**

"**It's not the first time Derek," Hotch said, cutting his eyes in Derek's direction.**

"**Can you two be macho at another time? Like when I'm not hanging onto a broken roof FOR MY LIFE!?" Kara huffed out.**

"**Sorry," the two men apologized. "We've got to find a way to get her without any more of this roof caving in," Hotch said.**

**Derek looked around and noticed a long water hose on the other side of the roof. Sliding backwards he stood carefully. "I see a hose! I'm going to go get it, don't move Kara!" he stated loudly before running for the hose.**

"**No duh Derek!" Kara huffed, clutching onto the top of the roof desperately.**

"**Why did you tell me your last name was Johnson," Hotch whispered as his fingers grazed her hands when he still attempted to grab her hands and pull her up on the roof.**

"**Aaron, can't this wait?" Kara panted.**

"**Yes, I suppose it can, but I know that you'll try to run and this is the only time Derek isn't around so…" Hotch responded.**

**Kara looked at Hotch then, smiling softly she stated, "Derek told me about all of you, there were a few of you I heard about all the time. You were one of them. I knew that he admired you, but when I saw you, I saw you as this gorgeous, intelligent, brooding man that I just wanted to spend time with. I knew if you heard my last name, you would treat me like I was just his little cousin instead of the woman I am. Johnson was my mom's maiden name," Kara huffed out before laying her head down, her arms shaking from exhaustion.**

"**C'mon Kara, don't give up," Hotch ground out, his voice thick with emotion.**

"**Aww, Apple Head! Don't lose faith in me!" Derek raced back, tossing the water hose to Kara, who grabbed it. Hotch stood behind Derek and the two hoisted Kara up on the roof and far enough away from the edge that there was no further danger to her for the moment. The crowd below went wild. Panting and breathing heavily, Kara lay on the ground, Derek and Hotch having fallen to the ground upon pulling her. After having caught her breath significantly, Kara stood up and walked towards Derek, who stood also, arms outstretched to receive a hug. He was surprised when Kara kicked him in the calf, slapped him and punched him in the gut.**

"**I said get off the DAMN roof Derek! Aunt Fran would have been devastated if something had happened to you! Are you out of your mind?!" Kara railed, her finger poking Derek in his chest, her injuries forgotten in the face of what she perceived as Derek's stupidity.**

"**But Apple Head, I had to help you," Derek started.**

"**Don't you Apple Head me, you idiot!" Kara yelled. She heard Hotch chuckling to her right and turned furiously towards him. "And what the hell do you think you're laughing about? You have a son to think about! Remember him? Jack?!" she started nodding when Hotch got quiet. "Yeah, that's right! What about him?" Looking at both men she shook her head in disgust, hoping that they couldn't see exactly how scared she was, flailing her arms around so that they couldn't see that she was shaking. Her entire life had flashed before her eyes. She'd seen herself as a kid. She'd seen herself playing football with Derek and his friends. Graduating from the police academy. Getting into the FBI. Her 3 wk affair with Hotch. Crying on Derek's shoulder when she hadn't heard from Hotch in a long time. Crying on Derek's shoulder when she heard about Hailey, though he hadn't known why she'd cried so hard. Her promotion to Head Agent of the Chicago office. Then seeing Hotch again, meeting the BAU, seeing Derek and Garcia together and their obvious love for each other. All those things crashed through her head, flying through quickly as she hung from the roof. She'd thought about her parents, her cousins, her uncle that she just knew was going to be waiting for her in Heaven. Then Hotch had asked her about her last name…or rather the last name she'd given him, and she knew that she had to live. Even if it was only to have one date with him as Kara Morgan and not as Kara Johnson. Looking at the two men that had saved her life, she started to laugh. Softly at first and then harder. She turned to leave the roof, the two of them following her, smiling in curiosity at her sudden mood change. As the three of them walked out of the building five minutes later, they all knew that it could have ended a lot differently.**

**Derek and Hotch received pats on the back from the agents, SWAT team members, and officers for saving Kara's life and hugs from the members of the BAU. Kara was enveloped in hugs before her injuries were noticed. They began to usher her to the waiting ambulance when she stopped.**

"**Aaron?!" she called out.**

**Hotch turned from where he stood talking to Rossi and walked towards Kara. The entire BAU team watched as Kara threw her arms around Hotch and the two hugged each other tightly. Then they gasped as the two shared a deeply passionate kiss. Prentiss, JJ, Reid, and Rossi all turned as one towards Derek to gauge his reaction. Derek watched as Hotch kissed his cousin fiercely, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other hand in her hair, he could tell that his tongue was in her mouth. Derek clenched his jaw and struggled not to growl in overprotective fury. Inhaling deeply, Derek forced a smile to his face.**

"**Well…look at that. Hotch is…kissing my cousin…my baby cousin and Hotch are making out," he grounded out between clenched teeth.**

**The rest of the team laughed when Derek turned away with a sound of disgust and pulled out his phone. They figured he was calling Kara's parents, so they were very surprised when they heard him say, "Garcia, you were right, they definitely have something going on. They're making out right now! In front of everybody!" before walking away.**

**Turning back the team watched as Hotch climbed in the ambulance with Kara and the vehicle drove off.**

"**So…I guess we're meeting Hotch back at the BAU and not the hotel, huh?" Reid asked innocently. The group laughed as they all decided to go with Derek to the hospital to check on Kara.**

_***Two Weeks Later***_

The BAU team gathered in the conference room, all of them having received an email from Hotch to meet him there because he had a surprise. He had only been back for two days. Having decided to stay behind in Chicago with Kara. The two of them had been going strong for a while, Hotch had even flown back to Virginia to get Jack and then taken him with him back to Chicago to meet Kara. The BAU team couldn't remember when they had seen Hotch so happy, and so youthful, he seemed like a new man. The past two days that he'd been back at the BAU, he'd spent them with Strauss and in his office on the phone. This was really the first time that the entire team would be together all at once since he'd been back.

Everyone took a seat, all of them smiling and laughing. JJ, Prentiss, Reid, and Rossi noticing that Derek and Garcia were talking in hushed tones, their heads close together. All conversation stopped when Hotch walked in the room.

"Good morning gang," he said, smiling widely. "I trust that you all enjoyed your two week vacation?" Everyone nodded their heads in consent, Garcia's face turning red as she thought about how she and Derek had spent their two week vacation.

**Flashback**

Penelope walked into the hospital and looked for Derek. She saw him as he sat in the waiting room, his arms folded. She sat down next to him and struggled not to grin.

"Hey there handsome, how are you holding up?" she asked.

"Hey Baby Girl," Derek grunted, "how do you think I'm holding up? Hotch is in the room with Kara. Not me. Her parents are on their way and when I told them what was going on they actually thought it was cute. Cute, Pen! I mean…god! Don't they understand what that means?! That means that Hotch and Kara…"

Penelope chuckled softly and then stopped abruptly when she saw Derek's face. They looked up when Hotch walked out.

"Derek, she's asking to see you," he said, smiling broadly.

"Hmph, right," Derek grunted, standing to his feet. "Come with me Baby," he stated to Penelope, holding out his hand. Penelope looked at Hotch who just smiled and nodded his head. Squeezing Hotch's hand, Penelope grabbed onto Derek's left hand and went with him into Kara's room.

Penelope laughed with Kara when she saw Derek's face. "Why are you so upset D?" Kara asked, amusement evident in her voice.

"You and Hotch?" Derek asked.

Kara laughed again. "Yeah, what of it, D-man?"

"I mean…Hotch?"

Kara looked at Penelope and winked. "Are you mad because I had a hot, steamy 3 week whirlwind affair with your boss…and we're probably going to pick up where we left off? Or…" looking between Derek and Penelope Kara decided to play matchmaker, "…are you upset because I have the courage to take a risk and try getting involved in a relationship when you still haven't told Penelope how much you're in love with her like you tell me every time we talk on the phone?"

Kara watched as Penelope's eyes grew wide with Kara's statement. Her eyes swinging back and forth between Derek and Kara. The truth of Kara's statement was evident on Derek's face as he growled low in his throat and refused to look at her.

"You're in love with me?" she whispered.

Derek looked at her and then looked away.

"Derek, tell her. My god, just finally be honest with her. Tell her what you tell me all the time. That you only want her happiness. That it tore you up inside when she was dating Kevin Lynch and how happy you were when he got the job transfer and they broke up. Tell her about the dreams that you had about the two of you. Tell her what you told me about how hard it is for you to do your job whenever she's around because all you want to do is make love to her. Tell her about how you've spent the last year and a half pricing honeymoon spots, centers for your wedding, and how you're looking for the perfect home," Kara said, watching as Penelope's mouth dropped open with all that she'd revealed. She looked at Derek who was looking down at the floor, breathing heavily. He looked up and glared at her, "Subtle Apple Head…subtle" he said before turning back to Penelope.

"Is it true Derek? Is what she said true?" Penelope whispered as she walked close to Derek, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Um…" Derek looked at Kara who nodded at him encouragingly, sighing deeply he decided to throw caution to the wind. His life and that of his favorite cousin had flashed in front of his eyes that day and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life living with regret or suffering from the "what-ifs" in reference to his relationship with Penelope. Looking deep into Penelope's eyes, "Of course it's true Baby Girl. I've been in love with you for years. I was just too scared. Scared to lose your friendship, scared that you didn't feel the same. Scared that with all of my scars and issues that I wasn't good enough for you, but I feel like I've loved you forever. I know that my heart has been looking for you for a long time. All I want is you, it's all I've ever wanted," Derek said, his words coming out and sweeping over Penelope like a passionate caress.

"Oh Derek!" Penelope squealed before throwing her arms around him. "My beautiful, gorgeous, Chocolate Adonis! I have waited so long for this! For you! For us!" The two of them shared a passionate kiss, their hands moving frantically over each other. They probably would have made love right there if Kara didn't take that time to clear her throat.

"I have no problem with the two of you consummating your love properly, however, I do have a problem with the two of you doing it in front of me. So how about you both take that back to your hotel, Pen? Or better yet, you can go to my place, since it's a little more cozier, and use my guest room. Derek, you have the key. So, you both go there, leave now and spend the rest of your vacation telling each other how much you love the other," Kara laughed as she kicked them out of her hospital room, as the couple walked off hand-in-hand, she called out after them, "Oh! And send Aaron back in!" Laughing heartily when Derek turned around and glared at her but then jerked his head at Hotch to go back into the room. She was happy when Hotch just smiled at the couple and came into the room without stopping to ask questions.

Penelope was beside herself with glee. The man that she'd been in love with for years loved her back! Kissing Derek as they sat in the cab on their way to Kara's home, she put all of her heart and her soul into the kiss. Screaming out in joy on the inside when Derek kissed her back with just as much fervor. They barely made it into Kara's home before they began ripping their clothes off. That night was the first of many where the new couple expressed their love to each other in a physical manner for hours on end. By the time they left Chicago to head back to Virginia, they knew that they were in it for the long haul. No matter what Strauss said about fraternization, they were going to be together.

**End of Flashback**

"**I know I enjoyed my vacation. I actually decided to visit all of the major museums between Chicago and Virginia again," Reid stated, noticing the expressions of everyone.**

"**Aww, kid. C'mon! That's all you did for your vacation? You gotta get out there and live," Derek said smiling as his hand rose higher on Garcia's thigh underneath the table.**

**Garcia smiled and tried not to blush at Derek's intimate touch.**

"**No, that's not all I did. I actually met up with someone…" Reid started, stopping when the room erupted with applause, "she traveled with me all the way to Virginia and then continued on to New York," he finished.**

**Nudging Reid with her shoulder, JJ inquired, "Who was it Reid? Hmmm? Who was it?"**

**Blushing, Reid bowed his head and said, "Elle."**

**The room erupted with shouts of "Elle?" Everyone surprised to hear that Reid had hooked up with their former BAU coworker.**

"**Wow, you and Elle?! Do you guys plan on keeping it going?" Penelope asked, clearing her throat as Derek's hand drifted even higher up her thigh.**

"**Um…yeah. I'm flying to New York the next time we have a day off," Reid smiled.**

"**Well, look at that, Boy Wonder is finally turning into Batman," Derek laughed.**

"**Shut up Morgan," Reid laughed.**

**The room got quiet when the phone buzzed. Pushing the intercom, Hotch answered, "Hotchner."**

**The receptionist stated, "Agent Hotchner, the new hire is here."**

**Hotch responded with a smile and said, "Thank you, send her up."**

"**Another girl?" Derek moaned.**

"**Alright!" Prentiss, JJ and Garcia all exclaimed, high fiving across the table.**

**Hotch smiled when he heard the knock on the closed conference door. "I want you to all make the newest member of the BAU feel welcome," he said as he walked towards the closed door, "She's an amazing agent, fearless, smart, and has great instincts."**

"**She sounds great, Hotch, like she'd be a great addition to the team," Rossi stated.**

"**I think so," Hotch said, putting his hand on the door. Turning to Derek and Penelope he said, "By the way, Morgan, Garcia…did I tell you that I got Strauss to let up on the no fraternization rule? As long as it doesn't interfere with your work, they have no problem with what goes on when you're not at work," he smiled as he saw the couple grin at each other. "And that liberty extends to all of us," he finished as he turned the doorknob. "Welcome our newest member."**

**The entire room gasped as the newest member of the BAU walked in and then everyone smiled, laughed, and applauded, in that order when they saw who it was.**

"**Hey gang. Let's do some profiling, huh?" Kara said as she smiled at the entire room.**

"**Heck yeah!" Prentiss said as she stood up to hug Kara, followed by the rest of the team. Derek was the last to hug Kara.**

"**You could've told me when I talked to you last night cuz," he said smiling.**

"**And ruin the surprise? Not a chance," Kara laughed. "Besides, Aaron…I mean, Hotch and I were busy."**

**The team looked at Hotch who had a huge grin on his face.**

"**Well…this should definitely be interesting," Rossi said, just before JJ got everyone's attention.**

"**Now that that's done. We've got a case."**


	6. The Morgans

**So I have NO idea why my computer and FF are causing my stories to be underlined when I upload them, but I hope it's not annoying you guys too much. Sorry. On the plus side, you guys are amazing! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Thanks!**

***I don't own Criminal Minds…I wish I wrote for them, or acted on the show…but alas, CBS owns it and I'm only a fan.***

The BAU team focused on the screen as JJ briefed them on the newest case. The team would be traveling to California this time. As they all focused on the details of the case, the victims, and the photos of the crime scene, they all realized that they really needed their two week vacation. It seemed as if this next case was going to be a lot more involved than any of the ones they'd done previously.

"The victim-ology is so different on this case," Kara finally spoke up, gently removing her hand from Hotch's grasp, "they're different ages from 13 to what like 60? Different genders, races, different social classes…the only similarity is the way that they were killed."

"There's got to be something that is similar with them. Some reason the UnSub is targeting these people," Reid said, his voice a study in concentration.

"And the bodies were found where?" Rossi asked, lowering his brow in confusion.

"All of them were found in different areas, all posed in different positions by the UnSub," JJ answered.

The room grew quiet as they all tried to think. Shaking his head, Derek spoke to the room at large, "The only way that we're really going to be able to crack this case is to actually go over there and put our hands in this case."

"Agreed. Everyone, grab your ready bags, wheels up in an hour. Garcia, I want you to go with us on this, so grab your bag also, and whatever else you need," Hotch spoke, his voice determined.

Everyone stood and began to file out. Kara stacked her papers and put them in her folder, her mind moving rapidly over the images, the crime scene, and the victims, trying to come up with some sort of connection.

"Hey you," Hotch whispered huskily behind her right ear.

Standing slowly, Kara smiled as she turned around, "Yes sir?" she asked cheekily.

"How're you doing?" he asked, his eyes closely monitoring her face.

"I'm great. Glad to be a part of the team. Glad to be with you, just…thinking," Kara admitted.

"Well, I'm glad you're thinking, but it's better when you're throwing your ideas off of someone else," Hotch responded, nodding his head as he tried to get his point across.

Sighing, Kara closed her eyes, "Yeah, I know. Once I get my thoughts together, then I'll be bouncing them off of everyone, I promise. I just have to get them straight in my head first."

"I can understand that. Well, come get your ready bag from my office and then I'll get you a cup of coffee," Hotch said, putting his hand on her lower back.

"Aaron, remember what Strauss told us? No 'hanky panky'," Kara smiled.

"Hanky panky? This is not hanky panky. This is me, escorting you to my office, my hand just landed on your ass on accident," Hotch said laughing.

Glancing up at him, Kara shook her head in feigned annoyance. "Whatever you say, boss man," she stated before she walked in his office before him.

_On the other side of the BAU_

"So, do you think they'll be able to keep it out of the office?" JJ asked Prentiss and Reid as they stood watching Kara precede Hotch into his office.

"I think that maybe they will. Studies have shown that, given the proper circumstances, that the mind is able to deny itself many rewards and fantasies if the consequences are high enough," Reid stated.

"I don't know Reid," Prentiss said, hesitatingly, "I mean, Hotch is like a totally different person with Kara. I mean, he still seems on his game, you know? But it's like, he's happier, he's freer, he's…"

"He's acting like a young man in love," Rossi responded having come up the conversation.

The group turned to him in shock. Then turning back to look at the door, they were all thinking the same thing: _Hotch…in love? What's that going to be like?_

_Back in Hotch's Office_

"Aaron, stop," Kara giggled. Hotch continued kissing the side of Kara's neck.

"I can't help myself, you just taste so good," Hotch smiled right before he kissed the side of her neck again.

Kara laughed happily as she continued to search for her ready bag. "Aaron, I don't see my ready bag in here," Kara said, sighing frustratingly.

"Really?" Hotch murmured, burying his face in Kara's shoulder length hair, "I could've sworn that I brought it in here. Check behind the couch."

Kara gave Hotch a slight glance over her shoulder before walking towards the couch in the corner of his office. Kneeling on the couch, Kara looked behind the couch for her ready bag. She knew that Hotch was just trying to get her onto the couch so she decided to indulge him, which is why she just smiled when he knelt behind her and kissed her neck again. She giggled when she felt his arm snake its way around her waist and gave a hearty laugh when he turned her over quickly and covered her body with his. She accepted his deeply, passionate kiss on her lips and opened her mouth for him when she felt his tongue tracing her lips. Moaning deep in her throat, she threw her arms around his neck and put one hand in his hair, pulling his head closer to her. She heard his chuckle as he laid on top of her and knew that she'd given in way to easily. What could she say, he was just so damn sexy that it didn't take much for her to give in to him. The entire two weeks that they'd spent in Chicago, they'd spent it either getting out of bed, playing with Jack, or falling back into bed. She'd been released from the hospital the night that she was put in and had gone with Hotch back to his hotel rather than going to her home, since she'd given it to the "lovebirds" Penelope and Derek. Kara smiled when she felt Hotch drifting down her neck and kissing her collarbone.

"Mmmm, Aaron," she started as she felt his hands unbuttoning her shirt. She'd chosen to wear black on black, black shirt, and figure hugging black pants complete with a set of sexy black ankle boots. Black had always made her feel more competent at doing her job. Right now all she could think was that she was happy that she'd chosen a buttoned up shirt instead of a pullover because Hotch had already found himself into her shirt and had made quick work of her bra. Sighing loudly, Kara tried to remember why she'd protested in the first place. She brought her right hand to Aaron's belt and quickly unclipped it, pulling down his zipper and unbuttoning his pants. She was proud of herself that she was able to do all of that with one hand, moaning in Hotch's mouth when he kissed her again. Kara was quickly losing herself in the moment when she heard a faint knocking sound. Tearing her mouth away from Hotch's she listened carefully. There it was again, a knocking on the door.

"Aaron, the door," she said, pulling herself away.

"Yes…mmmhhhmmm…the door," Hotch moaned against her mouth.

"No, Aaron. The door!" Kara laughed as she pushed him away. Kara watched as Hotch blinked twice before realizing what she said. He worked to quickly rearrange his clothing as Kara buttoned up her shirt and fixed her hair, looking beside the couch she located both of their ready bags and grabbed them. She stood up just as Hotch opened the door.

"Hey Hotch, just letting you know that we're all ready to board," Rossi said, his eyes twinkling from amusement, causing Kara to wonder just how much he'd heard.

"Um…yeah, okay. Well, let's get going then," Hotch said, clearing his throat. Turning to Kara he said, "Agent Morgan? If you would."

"Yes sir, thanks for letting me run my ideas past you," Kara said, passing him his ready bag and nodding to Rossi before walking out.

Hotch nodded to Rossi, closed his office door and locked it before following Kara down the stairs.

_Oh yes, interesting, indeed,_ Rossi thought to himself, chuckling as he followed the couple down the stairs and onto the waiting plane.

_12 Hours Later_

The team walked into the local bar, their mouths pulled down into a frown. They still had no leads, no solid information and they needed a chance to unwind from the day. Walking to the closest table, Derek sat down and pulled Penelope onto his lap. He smiled when she giggled and kissed her in front of everyone. In light of the troubling images that they'd seen that day of the crime scene, he needed some loving…big time. He watched as Hotch pulled out a chair for Kara and then sat beside her, leaning close to whisper in her ear.

"Derek, you have to stop doing that," Penelope said to him, grabbing his attention.

"Stop doing what?" Derek questioned as he looked at her briefly before turning his gaze back to where Hotch and Kara sat, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes, whispering to each other every so often.

"Stop being all overprotective. Watching Kara like a hawk," Penelope laughed, grabbing Derek's head so that his attention was focused on her, "Let her live. She's a grown woman, she's almost 30. They really like each other. They're probably on the verge of loving each other. She admires you so much Derek. You're like her hero and while the glow of a new relationship has her momentarily stunned, it's going to wear off soon and when it does, she's going to be looking to you for your approval and if she sees that you don't approve of her and Hotch being together, then she's going to put aside her own happiness, her own desires, and go against her own instincts, to make you proud," she finished with her sage wisdom.

Derek looked at Kara then and finally noticed what Penelope meant. While Kara seemed extremely happy cuddling with Hotch on the other side of the table, every so often she would look in his direction and her expression or her posture would change a bit. Within 15 minutes of his surreptitious gazing, Derek realized that Kara had almost pulled away from Hotch, all because of his facial expression. Kissing Penelope softly, he lifted her off his lap and sat her down on the floor. Smiling back at her when she smiled at him in understanding, Derek made his way over to Hotch and Kara.

Kara felt Derek standing next to her chair before she looked at him. His displeasure at her relationship with Hotch could be felt all over the bar, but being right up under his disapproving gaze made her feel even more uncomfortable. She sighed and lifted her eyes to his face. She hated the fact that he was making her feel like a rebellious teenager or worst yet, that Hotch wasn't good enough for her or vice versa. She wasn't sure why he was so against their relationship, but she knew that he was. It was making her uneasy. She could almost hate him for making her choose between the two of them. Especially because he _knew_ that she would choose him over Hotch any day.

"Excuse me for interrupting," Derek said, stopping Hotch's passionate whisperings, "Can I talk to you for a second Kara?"

Nodding her head slowly, Kara looked at Hotch, "I'll be right back Aaron, okay?" She waited for his nod before she kissed him deeply and stood up to follow Derek outside. As the two cousins stood outside, neither spoke for a moment. Kara was busy thinking of any and all reasons for she and Aaron to stay together and Derek was thinking of how much Kara had grown up.

"You're really an adult now huh?" Derek spoke up finally.

Kara laughed and nodded her head. "Just now realizing it?" she questioned as she pushed some of her hair behind her right ear.

"I think I've known it for a while, but I've been fighting it," Derek sighed, "It's hard for me to let go of the little girl that used to follow me around all the time, imitating everything that I did. That's the only reason that I had a problem with you and Hotch. I see him as my boss, my friend, this grown man and I still see you as…well, for lack of a better word, I still see you as the baby girl that I held in my arms when I was eight. It's hard for my brain to coincide the two images," he explained.

"I'm not a baby anymore, Derek. Hell, I'm not even a teenager anymore. I'm 28. I've had sex…lots of sex," Kara stated, smiling when Derek groaned, "I've got my belly button pierced. I've got a tattoo, I've bungee jumped, gone hiking…and just in case you didn't know, I've joined the FBI and I'm now a part of the BAU. I know you want to keep seeing me as your baby cousin, but you have to stop, you have to see me as an adult, a woman who knows her own mind, because if you keep showing your disapproval, you're going to make me choose between you and Aaron, and you know I'm going to choose you, and then I'm going to be miserable and I'm going to resent you."

Derek nodded his head as he finally listened to her words. She'd been trying to tell him that she'd grown up for years, he was finally listening.

"You're right. You're totally right," Derek remarked. Smiling shyly he said, "Just promise me that you won't completely forget about your cousin D okay?"

Kara laughed, "Are you kidding me? You're my hero! There's no WAY that I could ever forget you!"

"I'm still your hero?" Derek questioned, amazed that he still needed that reassurance.

Kara threw her arms around Derek and squeezed tightly, "You will ALWAYS be my hero, Derek. Always!"

The two cousins hugged for a minute more before separating. Tousling Kara's hair, Derek laughed when she pushed him gently.

"Stop Derek!" she whined, trying to fix her hair quickly.

Derek just laughed harder and then put his arm around her before walking with her back into the bar. Once they entered they could see that their presence had not been missed. Rossi was dancing with a woman that he'd met at the bar. Hotch and Penelope were having what looked to be a very amusing conversation and it seemed as if Prentiss and JJ were trying to get Reid to get out on the dance floor.

"Whaddya say cuz?" Derek asked, "Should we show them how to do it Morgan style?"

Grinning, Kara nodded her head. Walking with Derek past the table, she was very aware of the attention of the entire BAU team being focused on them. People had always stopped to look at them when they were younger and they would go somewhere. With Derek's good looks and her extremely long legs and exotic slanted eyes, they made quite a pair. It was when they got out on the dance floor, however, that people really understood why the Morgans were a special family. Smiling when "Sway" came on, Kara knew that the song was perfect. Nodding at Derek she instantly went into their old routine. Hips swaying, feet tapping, spins, dips, and flips, by the time the song was over, the entire bar was watching the pair. Ending the dance with a dip, Kara and Derek stood up to thunderous applause. Grinning widely, the cousins bowed and made their way back to the table.

"That was AMAZING!" JJ exclaimed, still applauding, her eyes wide in shock.

"Thanks," Kara said, ducking her head shyly.

"Okay handsome, I thought I knew everything about you, but you never told me that you could ballroom dance," Penelope said smiling.

"Aahh, it was nothing," Derek responded shrugging it off.

"Okay you two, explain," Rossi said having walked up to the table behind the pair.

Laughing, Kara explained, "Being my parents' only child they somewhat indulged me…"

"Spoiled," Derek interrupted, causing everyone to laugh.

"Whatever Derek!" Kara said rolling her eyes, smiling when Hotch rubbed his hand on her back, "So anyway, they made me take all kinds of lessons and classes. Karate, ballet, jazz, tap, salsa, painting, singing, sign language, Spanish, French, Italian, and ballroom, just to name a few. Well, I had a big ballroom dancing competition and my partner got the flu days beforehand. I was devastated. I cried to my mom, my dad and my aunt Fran. Well…" Kara paused smiling at Derek who was looking at her affectionately, "Aunt Fran grabbed Derek, who was what…24 at the time?" Kara questioned looking at Derek for assurance. When he nodded his head she continued, "I was 16 and by that time, my reputation was everything to me. So while I HATED having to waste my free time on all of those classes and lessons I was NOT about to ruin my reputation by losing the dancing competition. So I showed Derek my routine and when he stopped laughing at me," Kara said elbowing Derek who had started chuckling at this time, "we made up that routine. We did it at the competition and I just knew that it was too urban, too…street for me to win but when they announced that "The Morgans" had won the competition, I screamed bloody murder." The team laughed at the story.

"So do you guys still get together and ballroom dance," Prentiss teased.

"We do the same routine every time our mothers ask us to," Derek answered chuckling, "which is like every time the family gets together, it keeps the routine fresh in our mind."

"Wait, you said you took Spanish, French and Italian? Do you still speak those languages?" Reid asked looking at Kara.

"Oui monsieur," Kara answered, the French dialect rolling effortlessly off her tongue.

"Are those the only languages you speak?" Penelope asked grinning as Derek stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"No," Kara responded, growing slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

"Okay, let me answer this so we can move on," Hotch spoke up for the first time since the conversation had begun, "Kara speaks Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Hebrew, Japanese, and Swahili, in addition to English."

"How do you know that?" Derek asked, raising his eyebrow.

Laughing, Hotch responded, "Because she told me, and because she's spoken to me in each language. All of which sound amazing coming from her lips."

The women in the group all sighed dramatically at Hotch's romantic words, while the men all rolled their eyes.

Looking down at her watch Prentiss whistled. "I think it's definitely time for us to get to bed. We've got to get up early to get back to the station."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. As they walked out, they all walked past a young man handing out fliers for a new website. Kara took one and briefly glanced at the heading: "The Government is Watching EVERYTHING you do and say! Protect yourself!" She was just about to trash it when her gut told her to hold onto it. Folding up the flier, she placed it in her purse and cuddled closer to Hotch who'd put his arm around her.

"Wanna play hide and go seek in my room?" Hotch whispered in her ear.

Laughing happily Kara kissed him and whispered "Yes" in his ear. They knew that they'd have to be up in a few hours and back at the station as they tried to find the UnSub whose profile they couldn't even give, but for now, it was just about the two of them and as they stumbled into Hotch's room, lips and hands moving frantically over each other, they knew that it would always be that way.

_*The song "Sway" is by Frank Sinatra. It was also done by Michael Bubl__é and the Pussycat Dolls.*_

_Don't worry the story isn't over…there are MANY more chapters to come, I'm just ending the story this way. I have to thank my sister seekinglove09 (or is it seekinglove19-can't remember LOL) (well, my sister, Shi) and my adopted sister Catrina for their help with the character names so far._

_PLEASE rate, review, and favorite and pass the word along to your friends!_


	7. Kara and Richard

You guys are amazing! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Thanks!

*I don't own Criminal Minds…I wish I wrote for them, or acted on the show, because if I did, Garcia and Morgan would DEFINITELY be married by now and Kara would be an actual character on the show…but alas, CBS owns it and I'm only a fan.*

**The BAU team walked into the Los Angeles FBI office, all of them refreshed and all of them with new eyes. Unfortunately, those new eyes wouldn't help them. As they poured over the victim list again, which now contained a new victim who was killed the night before and positioned on all fours, re-interviewed the families of the deceased and even had Garcia digging into their lives, they realized that this UnSub was a lot more devious than they could've even realized.**

**Sighing in frustration, Kara rubbed her eyes with her hands. It was upsetting her that they couldn't find a connection between the victims. How would they ever find the UnSub. Turning her chair away from the desk in resignation she caught sight of Prentiss talking with a police officer in the hallway. Kara's left eyebrow lifted with interest. **_**Hhmm**_**, she thought to herself. Shaking her head she turned back to the desk that she'd been working with. **_**I'm getting just as bad as the rest of them with their curiosity over me and Aaron,**_** she knew then that she needed a break from the case, even if it was just long enough for her to get a cup of coffee. Walking towards the coffee pot, she rolled her head around on her shoulders, trying to relieve the tension. As she got closer to the coffee pot she noticed Garcia sitting in a room, images of the victims around her as she struggled to piece together a connection between them. Knowing that Garcia would be a better shot of energy than any cup of coffee could ever be, Kara changed direction and headed for the office where she'd been cloistered. Knocking on the door, Kara waited for acknowledgment.**

"**Come on in Baby Doll," Garcia said turning around.**

"**Whatchu up to P?" Kara asked as she came in.**

**Garcia laughed for a moment.**

"**What?" Kara asked smiling in a confused manner.**

"**You and Derek are so similar. You both love wearing these tight outfits that show off your best assets and you both love wearing black. You both even kind of walk the same. I mean yours is a sexier, more feminine walk, but you both still walk alike," Garcia explained amused.**

"**Well, I spent years imitating his every movement, his words…so that seems right. Besides, he was the one who always told me that black is slimming and sexy, so it's why I wear it," Kara said laughing with Garcia, "I hear that all the time. Desiree is always calling me a 'mini-Derek.' I even go to the same websites that he goes to…well…not all of them. But when he tells me about a cool new website that he's found, I immediately go there." After saying that Kara looked at Garcia's computers and her hand flew up to cover her mouth.**

"**O-M-G," she said, her eyes widening, "O-M-G! What if-?"**

"**Kara are you okay?" Garcia asked, looking at Kara concerned.**

"**Garcia, is there any way for you to look into cyber space and see if our victims all went to the same website?" Kara asked as she stepped closer to the computer screens.**

"**Oh my dove, I can tell you what they all bought at each website and what their pornographic preference is," Garcia said as she turned to the screens and begin to type away furiously.**

**The two women were so intently focused on the screens that they didn't notice Rossi and Hotch walking into the room.**

"**They all went to a governmental conspiracy website," Garcia began, stopping short when Kara jumped up and thrust her hand into her back pocket.**

"**Is the website GovCon?" Kara asked excitedly.**

"**Yes it is sugar," Garcia responded nodding her head.**

"**O-M-G!" Kara jumped up and threw her fist into the air. Turning while yelling the word, "HOTCH!" she cut off when she noticed him standing in the doorway with Rossi, a smile of wonder on his face.**

"**You are amazing," he breathed out.**

"**Later baby cakes," she laughed. Turning back to Garcia she asked, "Is there any way for you to pull up how the UnSub may have found out where they lived and then find out any and all of their communication on the website, I think we're going to finally figure out why they were chosen."**

"**I'm on it Superwoman," Garcia answered nodding her head.**

_**Two Hours Later**_

**The BAU team sat in stunned silence as they realized what was going on.**

"**His name is Tyler Brand. He served in the United States Marine Corps. He apparently set up the website under the guise of 'Big Brother is Watching You'. If he isn't our UnSub then he knows who is," Hotch stated as he talked to the entire office filled with agents and police officers.**

"**The fact that he kills our victims by first injecting them with Demerol to put them to sleep, shows some compassion on his part, but the fact that he then in turns cuts their throats, slashes their limbs, and then stabs them repeatedly in the stomach suggests a type of rage with the victim," Reid interjected.**

"**The UnSub is a white male probably between the ages of his mid-30s to his mid 40s. He has a intense love for the government, he has probably served in some branch of the military. He sees every person that joins this website as being a traitor to the country," Rossi continued.**

"**He is positioning the bodies in different poses that are associated with different attack and defensive stances. This latest one with the body being posed on all fours is one of the position that soldiers in the Army take when they're learning hand to hand combat moves. The fact that he is using this website to trap the victims shows that he is extremely knowledgeable of computer hardware and software," Kara said.**

"**Because of his prior military service and his intense devotion to it and the government, this UnSub is going to go down shooting unless we can talk him down. He is not easily frightened, he's been in combat, so threatening him will not work, he will only respond to someone who identifies with him," Derek finished giving the profile.**

**Garcia raced out of the room, "A new post just went up on the website. He's stated that the government is onto their website and is about to take it down, he's encouraging a mass group protest in the square!" she stated out of breath.**

"**He's devolving," Hotch stated.**

"**He's planning a mass execution," Kara said, "Getting all of the enemy in one area, he'll probably pick them off one by one with gunshots from a roof of a building."**

"**Garcia, look up all of the buildings around the square that are high enough for someone with a bag full of weapons to hide on top of," Hotch dictated, "when is this mass protest?"**

"**One hour sir," Garcia stated before racing off to her computers.**

"**He's already there," Kara said, "he's setting up right now. He'd know that he needed to check his positioning, check his front sight, see if he's more comfortable shooting supported or unsupported," she finished before grabbing her vest.**

**The rest of the BAU team grabbed their vests also, securing their guns in their holsters and headed out the doors of the office, followed by SWAT, other agents and officers.**

**Kara struggled to keep her breath steady. Having to face a deteriorating Marine was bringing back memories…bad memories. She was thinking about Richard again. Shoving her shaking hands underneath her thighs, she avoided Hotch's glance her way.**

"**Thanks Baby Girl. See you when we get back. Love you," she heard Derek say from the seat behind her before he leaned forward. "Garcia says that there are two buildings that would give Tyler the best position to shoot at the group below. She's sending the address to your phone."**

"**Thanks Morgan," Hotch responded before Derek sat back.**

**Kara picked up Hotch's phone and gave him the directions and the address of the buildings without looking him in the eye. She knew that he'd noticed her reaction and heard her knowledge of military procedures and strategies while they were in the FBI office. And Derek's sympathetic gazes her way were not helping matters. She didn't talk about Richard…ever. She'd talked about him once and that was with Derek, and Derek only. Inhaling deeply and exhaling through her mouth, Kara tried desperately not to cry. She turned her head towards the window and prepared herself to jump out.**

"**Kara?" Hotch questioned her as he turned onto the street.**

"**Not now Aaron," Kara ground out before opening the door and jumping out into the street when Hotch slowed down the SUV. She took off at a run, ignoring basic police protocol for the moment. Upon looking at the two buildings, she knew exactly which one Tyler Brand had chosen. She heard footsteps behind her and knew that the rest of the BAU team was right behind her. Foregoing the elevator, Kara took the stairs to the roof and raced up them, her gun poised and ready. Bursting out onto the roof, she hesitated for a moment. Remembering the last time she'd been on a roof with an UnSub. Taking control of her mind and inhaling deeply, Kara opened her eyes and pushed memories of Arthur Collins out of her mind.**

"**Corporal Brand?" she yelled out as she slowly made her way farther out onto the roof, the rest of the team behind her, guns ready, "My name is SSA Morgan, I'm with the FBI," she continued talking, noticing Tyler at the edge of the roof, unmoving, his gun trained on the crowd below.**

**As the team and SWAT slowly approach, Kara knew that she was going to have to talk about Richard in order to get Tyler to divert his attention.**

"**Corporal, what company were you in?" she asked.**

**At that question, Tyler turned around. Kara was momentarily stunned by his appearance. He had a large gash on the right side of his face. He looked to be about 48 years old, his face looked worn down, and his brown hair had gray at the temples.**

"**Bravo company," he answered, his eyes narrowing as he studied her intently.**

"**Richard, my former boyfriend was in Echo," she said as she stepped closer. She ignored Hotch's glance in her direction, instead keeping her attention focused on Tyler.**

"**What was his MOS?" Tyler asked then as he stood to his feet.**

"**He was a 42 India," Kara said, keeping her voice steady as she took another step closer.**

"**Intelligence," Tyler said nodding, "He must've been really smart."**

"**Yes, he really was," Kara agreed.**

"**How long did he serve?" Tyler questioned, his guard lowering just a bit.**

"**He was in for 4 years, deployed to Iraq and was killed by an IED," Kara said, her words coming out on a sob.**

"**Hateful things. I bet you've come in contact with people who don't even appreciate his death right? They say that he died for nothing?" Tyler's voice rose with anger.**

"**All the time. It seems like I run into ungrateful American everyday. They don't care that our troops are fighting for democracy, for freedom. That the freedom and democracy in other countries ensures our freedom of democracy here, that it ensures our safety in our own nation," Kara revealed, her words heated with passion.**

"**Exactly! That's why I created that site! It's why I went to their homes. I tried to talk to them, I told them that they were being traitors to our government, but they were holding onto their whole conspiracy theories. I had to kill them! I made a vow to protect this country against terrorists both foreign and domestic. They are domestic terrorists!" Tyler enraged.**

"**Is that why you put all of them in military poses?" Kara inquired as she watched Rossi slowly move to get a better shot.**

"**Of course! I didn't want them to suffer, but I had to make sure that they were dead."**

"**It's why you made sure to cut their throats and their limbs, so that they'd bleed out faster right?" Kara said nodding.**

**Tyler's eyes closed when he realized that she understood. Taking a deep breath he nodded.**

"**So why did you stab them afterwards? And repeatedly?" she asked.**

"**I just get so mad that they're making me kill them. I was discharged after I was shot and released over in Iraq and I still believe in our government. I'm not a monster, I'm just being true to my word. I hate that they're making me kill them. You understand right?" Tyler questioned Kara, but before she could answer Tyler noticed Rossi moving to get a better shot. Yelling out he shot Kara and then turned to shoot Rossi. Gunshots went off then and Tyler was taken down. Hotch turned to check on Kara. She was kneeling on the rooftop, her hand over her abdomen. He rushed to her side.**

"**Are you okay?" he asked her, his hands grabbing the side of her face. He was shocked when she lifted her face and he saw the tears streaming from her eyes.**

"**I'm fine," she said, gasping.**

"**I don't believe you," he responded, the two of them ignoring Tyler's body being covered and statements being given.**

"**No, really Aaron, I had on my vest, I'm fine," Kara said, smiling up at him through her tears.**

"**Then why are you crying?" Hotch asked.**

"**I'm crying because…because I hate thinking or talking about Richard. I hate talking about him going to Iraq and dieing and the fact that there are people in this country that don't appreciate the sacrifices of our military, but most of all I'm crying because for a second I realized that if Richard hadn't died in Iraq then he and I would have gotten married, I would have never met you because I would never have joined the FBI. I feel horrible to have thought that," Kara admitted, standing to her feet.**

"**Don't feel bad. You're not horrible. You're honest. I wouldn't trade meeting you and our being together for anything in the world. You make me feel young again. You make me feel alive. I wake up happy, I can't remember the last time that I did that before you came back into my life. I'm sorry that you lost Richard, I am, but I am not sorry that I have you," Hotch stated honestly, softly kissing Kara's forehead.**

"**That was so beautiful Aaron, thank you," Kara sighed.**

"**It was the truth," Hotch replied, lifting Kara's face he said, "I love you, you know that right?"**

**Smiling widely Kara responded with, "I do now…and I love you too."**

**The two agents kissed deeply and then turned to leave, following the other agents down the stairs to the waiting SUVs. This case was over, they would be heading back to Quantico in the morning, but first they would celebrate their love that night.**

_**I am dedicating this story to our men and women who serve in our military and to the officers, agents, firemen, and medical personnel that work tirelessly everyday to protect us and save our lives. They don't get nearly enough thanks from us. To my fellow soldiers (yep, I served in the Army) HOOAAHH!!**_

_**I'll try not make the other chapters as deep as this one (no promises) but I had to use this opportunity to say thank you to my former battle buddies. I await with baited breath your reviews, ratings, and favoritings! Until the next chapter! It's going to be a good one, I promise, it's happy and it's surprising!**_


	8. Derek and Penelope

**You guys are amazing! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Thanks!**

***I don't own Criminal Minds…I wish I wrote for them, or acted on the show, because if I did, Garcia and Morgan would DEFINITELY be married by now and Kara would be an actual character on the show…but alas, CBS owns it and I'm only a fan.***

The BAU team walked into the BAU office, each of them desperate for sleep, each of them with a special someone on their minds. Prentiss was thinking about Deputy Sheriff Jacob Roberts that she'd met in California and the steamy hot two nights that they'd spent together. JJ was thinking about Will and Henry and how much she'd missed them. Reid was texting Elle who was telling him when the next flight to New York was and how she couldn't wait to see him again. Rossi was thinking about Lauren, the hot woman that he'd met at the bar. Hotch and Kara were thinking about each other and how much they loved each other. Garcia was thinking about how she couldn't wait to get home with Derek and celebrate life. Derek was thinking about Garcia and how afraid he was of what he was about to do.

As the team all walked towards their respective desks, Derek stopped Garcia before she could leave the bullpen and head towards her office. Smiling when she looked at him in confusion, Derek chuckled softly and then went down on one knee. Bowing his head and laughing when Garcia started screaming, Derek knew that the entire office was looking at them now.

"Baby Girl, you gotta stop screaming so I can do this right," Derek admonished. Waiting until she finished, Derek continued, "Penelope Garcia, you are my best friend. You are my smile, my every heartbeat is for you. You are my sunshine, no matter what kind of a day I am having. I spend my days thinking about ways to make you happy, every conversation with you makes me smile, my heart beats out of my chest when you speak my name, my every nerve stands on end when you touch me. I long to give you every happiness your heart and hand can hold. I love you so much that sometimes I can't breathe, it makes speaking intelligently an impossibility. I love you so much that your name is always on my lips, your smell is always around me and I carry your heart with mine. I want to make babies with you. I want us to be together forever, more than friends, more than lovers. You are the other part of my heart, my soul's match, the other piece of me." Derek then kneeled on one knee and pulled out the 2-carat ring that he'd bought in California. "Penelope Garcia, will you marry me?"

All over the office, female agents, witnesses, and officers sighed happily and gave a collective, "Aaww." Focusing solely on Garcia's face, Derek awaited her answer with baited breath.

"Derek Morgan, you make me believe that dreams and fairy tales do come true. You make me believe in love. Of course I'll marry you!" Garcia answered with glee, squealing. Derek placed the engagement ring on Garcia's left ring finger and stood up and held her face in his hands, memorizing her features. "My God, you are so beautiful," he breathed before kissing her deeply. When the newly affianced couple came up for air, they turned to find themselves enveloped in hugs, handshakes and well-wishes.

"I say we take Derek and Penelope out to celebrate their engagement!" Prentiss said laughing with joy. No one deserved this type of happiness more than Garcia and Morgan, she thought to herself.

"I'm game!" Rossi said. Within two minutes everyone had jumped on board with the idea, JJ even calling Will and asking him to bring Henry with him to the restaurant. The BAU team all left, piling in their cars and driving to Derek and Penelope's favorite Chinese restaurant. Kara sat in the SUV with Hotch, a smile plastered on her face. She was having a hard time keeping up the smile. She was happy for Derek and Penelope, she really was, but she felt physically ill all of a sudden. Smiling at Hotch when he stopped in front of the restaurant, Kara tried to remember if the yogurt she'd eaten that morning had expired or not. It would be just like her to get food poisoning on the night that her favorite cousin got engaged.

The team walked into the restaurant and waited to be seated. Derek and Penelope kept kissing and giggling and looking at the ring. Will had shown up with Henry and they sat with JJ. Rossi and Prentiss were discussing some book series and Reid was on the phone with Elle, telling her about Derek and Penelope's engagement. Kara turned to Hotch, who sat beside her on the cushioned bench where they waited and he smiled at her. She smiled back at him. She loved him so much. Him and his super smart son Jack. They had both become very important to her, just like her own family. Leaning into him when he put his arm around her, Kara tried to still her rolling stomach. It soon became unbearable and unable to contain herself, Kara jumped up, squeaked out "Excuse me" to the group and took off for the bathroom where she was physically, violently ill. Vomiting for what felt like forever. Kara heard the door open and knew that one or all of "the girls" had followed her into the bathroom. Groaning when it had finally passed, Kara flushed the toilet and stood up from where she was kneeling on the floor. Brushing off her knees, she opened the door and stepped out. Standing there holding a bottle of water, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and wet paper towels was Garcia, Prentiss, and JJ, in that order.

"Aww, Sweetheart, are you sick? Was it that yogurt? It's kinda got my stomach in knots also," Garcia questioned.

Groaning again, Kara accepted the items and smiled at Garcia. Murmuring below her breath, hoping that they wouldn't hear she said, "Yeah, it's either the yogurt or I'm pregnant."

"You're what?!" the girls all screamed.

"Ssshh!!" Kara tried to hush them, knowing that Hotch would be coming to check on her soon. "I think I'm pregnant. I'm late, I'm tired all the time, my breasts are tender, I'm nauseous all the time," she explained.

"Ohmigosh! Wait until Hotch finds out!" JJ exclaimed, "he's going to be thrilled!"

"No!" Kara protested, "not now, I don't want to tell him until I know for sure. Promise me! No one says anything to anyone," Kara's eyes darted between the other three women.

"Agreed," they all said in unison.

"Have you taken a home pregnancy test?" Prentiss asked.

"I took two when we were in California, they both said positive," Kara nodded.

"Derek's going to be so happy! I'm so happy! Your baby is going to be so lucky and spoiled…" Penelope began.

"And gorgeous," Prentiss and JJ said simultaneously.

The women all laughed and then they heard the knock on the door.

"Kara? Baby? Are you okay?" they heard Hotch's voice from the other side of the door.

"Apple Head? You alright?" Derek's voice questioned right after.

"I'm fine, it's just that yogurt," Kara stated, hating that she had to lie, "We'll be right out." Turning to the women, she reiterated, "Say nothing to no one, remember?"

The other women nodded. They made their way to the door, smiles on their faces as they thought about this possible new addition to the BAU team. Not everyone was happy though, Kara was a mass of insecurities over Hotch's reaction. Pushing aside those fears, she came out with a ready smile for him, kissing him on the lips before following the rest of the group to their table. Tomorrow she'd ask Penelope to go with her to the doctor and she'd face the truth and the future, but tonight it was about celebrating Derek and Penelope's love and she would do it without hesitation or regard for her own situation.

Lifting her glass of water, she stood from the table and grinned broadly, "To my favorite cousin and hero, Derek and the love of his life, the beautiful, intelligent, talented, and amazing, Penelope. May all the happiness and love in the world, pale in comparison to the two of you. I couldn't be happier. To Derek and Penelope!"

As the rest of the group raised their glasses in agreement and cheer, the love of the soon-to-be-married couple could be felt around the entire restaurant. It made them all feel extremely blessed and loved themselves.

"_Forever mine. Forever thine. Forever ours."-Beethoven._

_More to come soon!_ _Keep the reviews coming you guys! You totally rock!_


	9. Relaxing, Shopping, and Surprises

**You guys are amazing! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Thanks!**

***I don't own Criminal Minds…I wish I wrote for them, or acted on the show, because if I did, Garcia and Morgan would DEFINITELY be married by now and Kara would be an actual character on the show…but alas, CBS owns it and I'm only a fan.***

The BAU team and their families laughed as they watch Derek serenade Penelope with a love song at the Karaoke machine in Hotch's home. It had been two days since the couple had gotten engaged and in the midst of their planning, a lightheartedness had come upon the group. Everyone was enjoying life and experiencing love. Kara shook her head when the song ended and everyone turned to her to sing.

"No!" she laughed. Resisting the tugs from everyone, she finally gave in when Jack looked at her and said, "Pweeze Miss Kawa?" How in the world could she resist that sweet face? Nodding her head she finally walked up to the Karaoke machine where Derek stood holding out the microphone to her as if it were the Holy Grail.

"What shall I sing for you all?" Kara asked.

"As the bride-to-be, can I make a request?" Penelope asked as Derek came to stand beside her chair.

"Sure Pen," Kara replied.

"How about, 'White Christmas' in honor of the Christmas season?" Pen suggested as the room erupted with applause.

"That's right! Christmas is in just a few weeks," Elle Greenaway, a former BAU agent, who was now a rape counselor, remarked before giggling as Reid kissed her neck.

"Yep! Now, Kara if you please," Penelope said as Derek sat beside her and pulled her into his lap.

Smiling at Penelope and Derek, Kara allowed her eyes to sweep the room and take in the couples in the room. Emily had flown in her DS Jacob Roberts and the two were sitting on the floor, Emily right in front of him, leaning against his chest. JJ and Will were sitting on a couch, Henry in JJ's arms and Will's arm around her. They truly made a beautiful couple. Kara's eyes found Rossi as he stood against the wall next to Lauren, his "friend" from the bar, then looking at Hotch, Kara's gaze softened as she saw Jack climb up in his father's lap. Opening her mouth, her soft, sweet voice washed over the group.

_I'm dreaming of a white Christmas_

_Just like the ones I used to know_

_Where the treetops glisten_

_And children listen_

_To hear, sleigh bells in the snow._

_I'm dreaming of a white Christmas_

_With every Christmas card I'll write_

_May your days be merry and bright_

_And may all your Christmases be white._

Finishing the song, Kara smiled when she saw that everyone had closed their eyes as she sang, everyone except Hotch, his eyes were glued to her face. As the last notes drifted from her lips, Kara sighed. She was truly happy. The day before Penelope had gone with her to the doctor's office where her pregnancy had been confirmed, the doctor had even given her some surprising news. She was ten weeks pregnant, which meant that the first week that she and Hotch had spent together in Chicago was when she'd gotten pregnant. She was extremely happy and felt so honored that she was pregnant from Aaron Hotch. She still hadn't told him, although she was certain that he knew something was up, last night when they were making love every time he grabbed, touched, or licked her breasts she'd gasped, more from pain than pleasure. She'd just told him that they were growing and he'd laughed and asked her if they still did that at her age. She'd merely smiled and said yes.

As the room exploded with praise and applause Kara smiled. Shouts of "Encore" and "Another!" caused her to smile.

"What else shall I sing?" she asked, her voice husky as usual.

"Sing another Christmas song!" JJ said.

Smiling, Kara nodded. Grabbing a chair, she sat and then looking at Jack she held out her arms to him. Jack raced to her and pulling him up in her lap, Kara sighed as she felt him cuddle her. "Aaww, my precious boy," she said before looking at Hotch whose gaze had softened as he looked at the two of them together.

Kara smiled at Derek and asked him to join her. Laughing delightedly when the group groaned in agony at Derek singing again.

"He's great at the melody. Besides, it's our favorite song to sing," Kara said looking up at Derek and smiling when he realized what song they were about to sing. "In honor of the Christmas season, Derek and I will be singing 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. It was a song that our dads used to sing together around the holidays when they were kids," Kara paused then and looked up at Derek. He was still smiling down at her, an easy smile, not one that was strained as it usually was upon the mention of his father. Realizing that he'd finally grown past the hurt of losing his father, Kara sighed happily. Then turning back to the group, she winked at Penelope and opened her mouth to sing, knowing that Derek would pick up the melody and that the harmony that they created when they sang would be beautiful and cause the group great pleasure.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_Let your heart be light_

_From now on your troubles _

_Will be out of sight._

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_Make the yuletide gay_

_From now on your troubles_

_Will be miles away._

_Here we are as in olden days_

_Happy golden days of yore_

_Faithful friends who are dear to us_

_Gather near to us once more._

_Through the years we all will be together_

_If the Lord allows_

_Hang a shining star_

_Upon the highest bough._

_And have yourself a merry little Christmas now._

_Faithful friends who are dear to us_

_Gather near to us once more._

_Through the years we all will be together_

_If the Lord allows_

_Till then_

_We'll have to muddle through somehow_

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas now._

As she and Derek finished the song, she watched as everyone wiped away tears.

"That was so beautiful. The Morgans have amazed us again," JJ said as she sniffled into the handkerchief that Will handed her.

"Again!" Jack said from where he sat in Kara's lap. The adults in the room laughed.

"Okay, snooker doodle, one more and then you've got to get to bed," Kara said smiling.

"Well gang, what song shall I sing? Shall I stick with the Christmas theme?" Kara asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I could listen to Kara sing Christmas songs all year long," Emily said laughing.

"I agree," Hotch whispered.

"Well then," Kara said. "Derek, you can sit down now. I'll sing 'Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire' since it's time for Jack to go to bed."

"No! No bed, want to stay up with you!" Jack protested, clutching Kara tightly.

"Aww, my sweetheart, I will be here in the morning I promise, now listen to the song," Kara said. Kissing the top of Jack's head, Kara began singing.

_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire_

_Jack Frost nipping at your nose_

_Yuletide carols being sung by a choir_

_And folks dressed up like Eskimos_

_Everybody knows _

_A turkey and some mistletoe_

_Help to make the season bright_

_Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow_

_Will find it hard to sleep tonight._

_They know that Santa's on his way_

_He's loading lots of toys and goodies_

_On his sleigh_

_And every mother's child is gonna spy_

_To see if reindeers really know_

_How to fly_

_And so I'm offering this simple phrase_

_To kids from one to ninety-two_

_Although it's been said_

_Many times, many ways_

_Merry Christmas to you._

When Kara finished singing, she looked down at Jack who was fast asleep in her arms. Smiling widely at Hotch, Kara stood up carefully and adjusted Jack in her arms. She walked with him to his bedroom and placed him in his bed, tucking him in. Turning after kissing him on his forehead and whispering "goodnight," Kara found herself enveloped in Hotch's arms and kissed deeply. She gave as good as she got and moments later when they separated, Kara sighed. Looking into Hotch's eyes she questioned, "What was that for?"

"That was for being so amazing," Hotch answered.

"Aaww, Aaron. I'm not amazing-" Kara began, trying to deny his statement.

"You don't realize how amazing you are, which only makes you more so. But trust me, you are truly, truly amazing and I have no idea what I did to deserve to have you in my life, but I am truly grateful," Hotch interrupted Kara before kissing her on her nose and then taking her hand walked with her out into the hallway. Pulling Jack's bedroom door up, but not closing it all the way, the couple walked back into the living room where everyone was grabbing their coats, preparing to leave.

"Aaww, are you guys leaving?" Kara asked as Hotch stepped behind her and pulled her into his embrace.

"Yeah, Henry's asleep and we've gotta get some sleep. We figured that we'd go Christmas shopping tomorrow," JJ explained as pulled her coat on and then accepted Henry back into her arms, thanking Will when he pulled her blonde hair from under her coat's collar.

"And Jacob and I are going to be having breakfast with my mother tomorrow. Which means we need all the sleep we can get tonight," Emily said laughing as Jacob helped her into her jacket.

"You know we could stay all night, but Lauren's gotta catch a flight in the morning," Rossi explained as he buttoned up his jacket.

"Yeah, Elle and I are taking the train into the city. She's going to make me see a show on Broadway," Reid said, his voice sounding pained. The BAU team laughed at his expression when Elle nudged his ribs.

"Yeah, Pen and I want to spend some time together before you two go shopping tomorrow," Derek stated as he put on his gloves. Walking over to Kara, he kissed her on her cheek. "See you in the morning cuz," he said fondly.

"Yeah, bye D," Kara said.

Kara and Hotch watched as the group left, sighing in exhaustion when the door shut behind Derek and Penelope. Turning towards the living room, Kara squared her shoulders.

Chuckling, Hotch asked, "What are you about to do young lady?"

Thrusting her hands on her hips Kara turned to Hotch with a mock glare, "Young lady?" Scoffing, she flounced off in the direction of the table where glasses of egg nog and plates of food lay. Kara squealed when she felt Hotch scoop her up in his arms and spinning with her, he lay down on the couch, with her sprawled out on top of him, her red flare dress spread out over them. Laughing the two of them lay there resting for a while. With her head resting on Hotch's chest, Kara admitted, "Aaron, I'm so happy here with you."

"I'm so happy with you also," Hotch said, one hand playing with her hair, the other resting on her back.

Lifting her head, Kara kissed Hotch's chin, smiling back when he smiled at her. Laying her head back down on his chest, Kara listened to Hotch's heartbeat, surprised to find that his heartbeat was in sync with hers. With that knowledge prevalent in her mind, she fell asleep.

Aaron Hotch knew the moment that Kara had fallen asleep. Sighing happily, he squeezed her a little tighter in his arms. She was the best thing to happen to him in a long time. He loved her so much that it took his breath away. Knowing how she'd react if he proposed to her, he'd held off, but as his right hand went underneath the sofa cushion, his fingers grazed the ring box there that held the 3.5-carat diamond engagement ring. He could wait until she was ready. He'd wait until she was more certain of his love, of their love, and their future. And the moment that he felt that she could see a forever with him and Jack, he'd propose to her. As an image of Kara surrounded by his children filled his head, Hotch drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Kara tied up her knee-length black boots and laughed at Jack who was racing around the living room chanting "Santa!" at the top of his lungs. While she and Penelope were going shopping, Hotch and Derek were taking Jack to go and meet Santa. Smiling at Hotch who'd just walked into the room, Kara stood up, smoothing down her green velour, turtleneck, long-sleeved knee-length dress. Hearing Garcia's horn, she walked over to Jack and gave him a hug, promising him that she'd see him in a few hours. Standing up, she put her arms in the calf length black peacoat that Hotch held open for her. As she turned to him to button up the coat, she accepted his kiss wholeheartedly.

"Have fun," he whispered, his eyes moving lovingly over her face.

"I will," she whispered back. Kissing him one last time she walked out the door and got in Penelope's car as they headed to the mall to shop.

_Four Hours Later_

Penelope and Kara were almost finished with their shopping. Almost. They'd gotten all of their Christmas shopping done, bought some items for Derek and Penelope's wedding that had been set for eight months from that day. Even making three trips to Penelope's car to drop off their purchases, although they still had armfuls of purchases. They'd stopped for a moment to eat, Kara having only thrown up once that day. When they'd finished their meal, Kara had turned to Penelope and made a startling suggestion.

"Let's go shopping for baby stuff," she'd said, her eyes twinkling happily.

"Oh Kara! Does this mean you're going to tell Hotch?" Penelope questioned.

"Just as soon as we get home. I'm going to have the stuff delivered to the house and when he asks me what's going on then I'll show him the sonogram pictures," Kara acknowledged.

"He's going to be so excited! Think about it triplets! How amazed is he going to be?" Penelope exclaimed.

Kara laughed happily. When they'd gone to have Kara's pregnancy confirmed, the doctor had done a sonogram and told a very shocked Kara that he'd heard _three _distinctive heartbeats. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hide the pregnancy for long, the doctor telling her that she'd start really showing very soon, so Kara knew that she'd have to tell Hotch soon.

"Pretty amazed, I'd say," Kara stated, "I'm still shocked myself. I can't believe I'm pregnant at all, much less with three babies."

"They are going to be gorgeous babies too," Penelope giggled as the two friends and future relatives walked into Babies 'R Us. After another two hours of shopping in that store, followed by two more hours in other baby stores in the area, the two women were exhausted.

"Eight hours of shopping Pen?" Kara laughed as they sipped hot chocolate in the food court.

"Hey! Shopping is like having a full-time job," Penelope teased as she bit into her biscotti.

Kara shook her head and looked down at her final receipt. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd spent so much money at one time.

"I'm glad that Derek got me into the real estate business," she stated, looking up at Penelope.

"Yeah, he was telling me about that last night. He also said that he'd opened up a money market account for you when you were a kid," Penelope smiled.

"Ugh! Yeah. Growing up I felt like I had two dads. My dad wasn't too business or street savvy, but because of him I appreciate the arts, fine culture, and great cuisine. Derek made me smart about the practical, everyday side of life. You know money, men, and life," Kara replied, remembering her childhood fondly.

"You guys are really close, huh?" Penelope questioned, her eyebrows raised.

Laughing happily, Kara answered, "Super close. I'm closer to him than anyone else in my life, and he's just as close to me…I mean except for you of course," grinning, Kara finished.

"And Hotch," Penelope said cheekily.

Kara laughed happily, a smile still on her face as she answered her ringing telephone.

"Morgan," she said, a grin still evident in her voice. Hearing JJ's voice, Kara's brow lowered. "How soon? Okay, let me drop off my bags and I'll meet you all in the BAU office," she finished, hanging up the phone.

Looking at Penelope, Kara shook her head sadly. "Five women, raped and killed in Polk County, Florida. Latest body was found in Auburndale. We've gotta go." Standing quickly the two women knew that the lighthearted conversation from moments before was gone. All thoughts of childhood, babies, and even the wedding of Penelope and Derek that the two women had been planning all day, were gone. They had another case to work on, the women in Central Florida needed their help, and that took precedence.

_One Hour Later_

After being debriefed by JJ, the team grabbed their ready bags and prepared to leave. Opening her desk drawer, Kara grabbed the crackers and ginger ale that she'd hidden there, plus the chocolate covered pickles that Penelope had made for her after Kara had told her that she'd been craving them. Sticking the food items in her bad, Kara stood up and walked out, catching up with Penelope who stood waiting for her in the hallway, her bags slung over her arms.

"Are you still going to tell him?" Penelope asked as the two women walked towards the elevator.

"Not now, not under these circumstances. This is too grim. I don't want him to find out about our children that way. We had to rush to find someone to watch Jack while we were gone, I had to ask a neighbor to accept the deliveries for us…it's just a bad time Pen, I'll tell him when we get back," Kara said not noticing that Derek was in the elevator waiting for her and Penelope. Looking up she saw Derek and gasped.

"You're pregnant?" Derek asked aghast, "Hotch doesn't know? Why didn't you tell him Apple Head? How far along are you?" he fired off the questions nonstop, stopping only when Penelope put her hand up to cover his mouth.

"Derek! Don't say anything! Please! I'll tell him when the case is over, but I don't want the announcement of my pregnancy to be overshadowed by the deaths of these women," Kara begged.

Narrowing his eyes, Derek nodded.

"Now to answer your questions, yes I am, no he doesn't, I was planning to tell him today but the case came up, I'm ten weeks, and even though you didn't ask, I'm having triplets," Kara answered Derek's questions just as rapidly as he'd asked them.

Penelope and Kara laughed as Derek's eyes widened with the last bit of information.

"I know, shocking right?" Kara said amused. When the elevator doors opened and they walked out the doors toward the awaiting jet, Kara turned towards Derek and admonished, "You promised, Derek, you can't say anything. Remember? I'll be careful. I promise, but I want to tell Aaron, as soon as the case is over, I'll tell him, I promise," she waited until he nodded before she continued walking. She ignored the sense of dread that crept down her spine that told her that she should have told Aaron as soon as she got on the plane, she'd tell Aaron as soon as the case was over.

_**Author's Note: **__Yes, it's true! Kara's pregnant with triplets! How unbelievable is that?! And even though it's the Christmas season, we know that UnSubs don't care about that. But I did throw in some Classic Christmas songs for you guys, hey even the BAU team needs the opportunity to be happy, unwind and enjoy some free time. The "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" song is Judy Garland's version. "Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire" is Nat King Cole's version, and "White Christmas" is Bing Crosby's version. Those are three songs that I sing for family and friends all the time._

_More to come! Keep the reviews coming, I look forward to them!!_


	10. Hotch Finds Out

**You guys are amazing! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Thanks!**

***I don't own Criminal Minds…CBS owns it and I'm only a fan.***

The BAU team looked over the files as they sat on the plane, the faces of the women becoming imprinted on their psyches. Tossing aside his folder in disgust, Hotch looked over at Kara. She was sitting next to Penelope; it seemed as if the two were deep in conversation. Hotch watched as Kara shook her head no at something Penelope had said, her hair swinging across her face. Sighing, he watched her for a while. Turning back to the files on the table in front of him, he stopped abruptly when the face of one of the women changed to Kara's. Closing his eyes, he rubbed them. He couldn't start projecting her face onto their victims; he'd be unable to do his job then. He smiled as he saw Rossi approach him.

"Hey Hotch, how're you holding up?" he asked.

"Oh you know," Hotch said, a slight smile coming to his face, looking over at Kara, he saw as she stood up quickly and hurried to the bathroom, "I'm starting to see her face on our victims," he confessed his voice low.

"It happens. Don't beat yourself up over it, or start thinking that some change has to take place, it just means that she means a lot to you," Rossi informed him, smiling.

Hotch watched as Derek, Penelope and Prentiss all stood up and went back to the bathroom where Kara was. His curiosity piqued, he thanked Rossi and stood up himself and walked back to where the bathroom was.

"Guys, I understand what you're trying to say, and you're right, it would be better if I told Aaron now, but let's face it, if he knew I was pregnant, he'd get all overprotective, he wouldn't let me go out into the field and do my job, he wouldn't be able to focus on his job…" Kara sighed, "No, I'm just going to wait until the case is over. As soon as we're done and we're back on this plane on our way back to Quantico, then I'll sit next to him and I'll tell him. I'll say, Aaron, I'm pregnant. Ten weeks along, it's yours and baby, we're having triplets!" Kara promised.

"I still can't believe you're having triplets!" Prentiss exclaimed quietly.

"I still can't believe you're pregnant!" Penelope was next.

"I still can't believe you haven't told Hotch," Derek admonished.

The four of them gasped with shock when they heard, "Me either" and turned to see Hotch standing directly behind them, his face a picture of shock, anger, and hurt.

"Aaron," Kara whispered brokenly as he turned to walk away, "Aaron! Wait!" Kara took off after him, stopping short when he turned to look at her.

"How could you not tell me? How could you keep something like that from me? I thought I meant something to you?" Hotch whispered furiously. He interrupted her before she could speak, "We're not going to talk about this right now. We're going to get through this case and we'll talk about it when we're done. But you're right, you will be interviewing witnesses, family members, and staying in the station with Garcia and assisting her in the office," looking at her as if seeing her for the first time in his life and not liking what he saw, Hotch turned and went back to his seat.

Choking back tears, Kara turned around and saw Penelope, Derek, and Prentiss still behind her, their faces covered with compassion. Shrugging her shoulders and making her face a look of nonchalance; Kara pushed past the three of them and went back to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, she sat on the toilet and cried harsh, soft sobs. Her heart felt as if it were breaking in two. Placing her hand on her stomach, Kara sang softly to the babies growing inside of her.

The BAU team walked into the Polk County Sheriff's Office, their personal lives and issues momentarily put aside in the face of this developing case. As soon as they were directed on which offices they would be using, Hotch separated them, sending Derek and Prentiss off to investigate the crime scene, Reid and Rossi to interview the family of the latest victim and without looking at Kara he told her to go with Penelope to go over the crime scene photos and dig into the lives of the victims. Kara nodded and turned away from him without a word, following Penelope to the office where she would set up her equipment. Hotch watched her go and then turned to JJ, "Let's go to the previous crime scene and see what we can find there," he stated, his voice low and harsh. JJ nodded at him, having to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying anything to him. As they walked out, JJ turned to look inside the office where Kara and Penelope were working, hoping that Kara and Hotch would have an opportunity to work out their situation before the case was over.

That night as the team traveled home, the mood was extremely somber. They'd driven all over Polk County, following the victims, their jobs, their families and had come up empty. Penelope and Kara had pored over the crime scene photos and dug into the lives of the victims, so far no connection had been found. They walked into the lobby, no one speaking, heads up, and eyes forward as they began to make their way to their respective rooms. Kara stopped at the front desk and asked about room service. After being told that they did indeed have room service, she ordered a meal of steak and mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, chocolate cake for dessert and sweet tea to drink. She gave them her room number and walked away. As she neared the elevator she saw Hotch talking to Derek. Her curious nature wanted to know what they were talking about, but as an image of Hotch's face when he'd found out about her pregnancy swam before her vision, she decided to keep walking. As she stepped into the elevator she looked up and her dark brown eyes collided with Hotch's, tears immediately sprang to her eyes and before she could avert her gaze a few slid down her cheeks, she saw as Hotch started to walk toward her and then thankfully the elevator doors closed.

Kara had just finished the last bite of her chocolate cake when she heard the knock on her door. Thinking it was Penelope or Derek, she opened the door without looking through the peephole.

"I'm fine. Yes, my heart is broken, and no, I don't know if Aaron will ever forgive me, but all I want to do is sleep right now; I still have a piece of him inside of me and if that's all that I have to get me through the rest of my life then that will have to do, so go back to your room and sleep," Kara stated, the words rolling off her lips rapidly as she walked through the sitting room into her bedroom, picking up the cup of sweet tea on the nightstand. She turned around and sat on the bed bringing the cup to her lips, stopping when she saw who was standing in front of her. "Aaron?" she whispered, placing the cup back on the nightstand slowly.

"I was so angry when I found out about you being pregnant. Everyone knew except me, you were talking about keeping it from me until later, what if something had happened?" Hotch questioned as he began to pace in front of her.

"Not everyone knows, Rossi and Reid don't know," Kara interrupted. Stopping short of any further comments when Hotch pinned her with a glare.

"What if you'd been out in the field and you fell? Or if you were shot? What then? I would have lost you and any children that we could have had together! How do you think that made me feel? You told me that you loved me and yet you kept something this important, this serious from me, as much as I love you I can't believe you would keep something like this from me," Hotch finished, stopping in his pacing to look at Kara.

"Can I speak now?" Kara asked, when Hotch nodded, she began speaking, "I only found out myself recently, and when I did, I was so excited and I wanted to tell you immediately, but then Derek and Penelope got engaged and I didn't want to steal their moment, and then I was so afraid to tell you, because even though you said you loved me I still hesitate, I still feel like there's a part of you holding back. I was scared that you wouldn't want me to keep the pregnancy. I didn't know how you would feel. I was afraid that you'd be angry, or think that I trapped you. Then I realized it was you that I was talking about and I remembered how sweet you were and then I knew I had to tell you and I was going to tell you and make it this really sweet amazing reveal you know? After having gone to the doctor and him confirming it and saying that it was three babies, I was going to have the baby furniture delivered to your house and then I was going to tell you, but then this case came up and I didn't want to tell you with this case hanging over our heads, I didn't want you to associate finding out about our babies with a serial rapist and killer, selfish I know, but I didn't want anything negative associated with these children," Kara finished.

Hotch stared at her for a long moment, then he sighed, "I can understand that," he said finally. He stepped closer to her, "No more secrets okay?" he admonished her.

"No more," she agreed.

While Hotch kept Kara on what the group affectionately called "light duty", it still took them four days before they found the UnSub. He was brought without being shot or killed, although Prentiss roughed him up something fierce. As the group headed back to Quantico, they put the case from their minds and moved onto happier moments. Penelope and Derek sat in a corner and continued planning their wedding, JJ opened up the video chat to talk to Will and Henry. Prentiss and Reid were playing a fierce game of UNO, Rossi was reading a book, and Kara lay on the couch while Hotch lay on top of her, gently talking to the babies growing inside of her.

_Three Months Later_

"_I'm fat and ugly! I'm not doing it!" Kara refused as she crossed her arms over her chest and walked away from Penelope, Emily and JJ who were trying very hard not to laugh._

"_You're not ugly, I don't think you Morgans even know what that word means," Prentiss said chuckling underneath her breath._

"_And you're not fat honey, you're pregnant, you're carrying three precious babies inside of you," JJ reminded her._

_Kara scoffed as she turned her face away from the three women, hoping that they couldn't see her tears. Unbeknownst to her, Penelope was putting a call in to Derek who was in the tuxedo shop with Reid, Hotch, and Rossi. Within five minutes, during which the women had gotten Kara to actually try on the purple bridesmaid's gown that Penelope had chosen for her, the men had shown up. Kara stepped out from the dressing room to thunderous applause from the entire BAU team. Laughing at their silliness, Kara spun around and curtsied for the group as they continued to applaud her. The guys whistling and making cat calls. After a few moments they stopped and Derek smiled at Kara and said, "Apple Head, you know that you're beautiful, you will always be beautiful, that will never change." Kara nodded her head and then looked at Hotch who was walking towards her._

"_Baby, you look amazing. Every time I look at you, my breath stops in my chest. You are absolutely glowing; it makes you even more beautiful than you already were, so much so that it almost hurts to look at you. And I love listening to our children as they grow inside of you, you're not fat, you're a gorgeous shelter for them, and I love you so much," he said. The team clapped again when Kara and Hotch kissed. When they stopped kissing, Hotch hugged Kara tightly, then with one last kiss him and the rest of the guys left to head back to the tuxedo shop._

"_He's so amazing," Kara sighed, her previous hysterics completely forgotten._

_The other women just smiled at her and finished their dress fittings._


	11. Labor Complications

You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. And your reactions over Kara being pregnant with triplets are hilarious. Thanks!

*CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.*

_**Two Months Later**_

**Kara walked into the BAU office…well; she waddled into the BAU office, looking for Derek and Hotch. Her eyes traveled over the bullpen. Neither of them were there, sighing in resignation, she knew that she'd either have to keep walking around, walk to Derek's office, climb the stairs to Hotch's office, or call them. Refusing to take the easy way out, she waddled over to the stairs, inhaling deeply she walked up the stairs slowly, clutching the railing for dear life. As soon as she reached the landing, she sighed and looked down at her protruding belly, "You three have mommy looking like a walking blimp, and she's tired, but if you push on my bladder to make me have to go to the bathroom, you will regret it when you're born, I will make you all dress exactly alike…in pink satin and lace," she threatened the triplets inside of them. She laughed when she felt an answering kick. Looking up she saw Hotch standing in the doorway of his office watching her with a look of love and adoration on his face.**

"**Hey sexy," he said as he walked towards her. He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply and passionately.**

**When the two separated, Kara laughed, "Um…SSA Hotchner, that was very unprofessional of you, kissing me like that in front of everyone."**

"**Aahh, they can suspend me, you just looked way too sexy right then for me to not kiss you," Hotch said laughing with her.**

"**Well," Kara playfully scoffed. Then growing serious she said, "I came here for a very serious reason."**

**Hotch's eyes widened, "Is it time?! It's time isn't it?! Why didn't you tell me? You're doing very well with the pain and the contractions, let me grab my keys, and are you okay? Do you need to sit down?" he exclaimed as he turned towards his office.**

"**Aaron! I'm not in labor. But I do have a problem. And I was already out and about so I decided to stop by to get you or Derek to help rather than get home and call," Kara explained.**

**Derek walked up the stairs then, and coming upon Kara, picked her up from behind and spun her around.**

"**Apple Head!" he said laughing as he put her down.**

**Turning around to glare at Derek, Kara put her hands on her hips and said, "Derek, I'm seven months pregnant with triplets, what would possess you to pick me up and spin me around like a crazy person? Are you insane? Have you lost your mind? Obviously you have, otherwise you wouldn't have done it. Honestly, I thought you learned some decency and common courtesy from Aunt Fran, Sarah, and Desiree, but it is apparent that you did not pay attention," Kara's mood swings while she was pregnant always managed to amaze Hotch and Derek.**

"**I am thoroughly chastised," Derek said sheepishly, although his smile belied the fact that he was truly repentant.**

**The three agents turned when an joyous outcry of "KARA!" was heard and Prentiss, JJ, Garcia, Reid, and Rossi all came bounding up the stairs.**

"**What are you doing here?" Prentiss asked.**

"**I was out shopping and getting some last minute items before the trips got here, and I of course, overbought and when I realized that the items that I'd needed help putting into the Explorer, I'd also need help getting out, I stopped by here to grab one of my guys to come and help me unload and set up," Kara said, smiling.**

"**What did you get this time?" Hotch asked as he put his arm around her expanded waist.**

"**Well, we needed more diapers," Kara began.**

"**Baby! We have enough for six kids for like 2 years!" Hotch said laughing.**

"**Well, my mother said that you can never have enough diapers," Kara said shrugging.**

"**That's true," JJ agreed, thinking back to when Henry was an infant.**

"**Thank you JJ," Kara said as JJ nodded her head, "Then, I bought some more onesies, another playpen, another stroller, the kind for triplets, I got some shoes, some socks, I bought stuffed animals, a humidifier for the room, a Diaper Genie, a few Tickle-Me Elmo dolls, I got some teething rings, I bought some blankets, a few pacifiers, more bottles, more nipples for the bottles, I bought formula, apple juice, baby food, I finally found three car seats that I liked, I got three really cute diaper bags…OH!" Kara stopped her revelation when she felt a contraction.**

**The entire group paused.**

"**Was that a contraction?" Reid asked.**

**Nodding her head through the contraction, Kara exhaled when it passed.**

"**Are you serious?" Hotch questioned.**

"**I've been having them all day, off and on. It's why I left Jack with my mom and Aunt Fran back at the house," Kara explained, walking away from the group.**

"**You've been in labor all day?" Penelope exclaimed.**

**Kara waved her hand in agitated agreement, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. No biggie. I mean, it hurts, but they pass and I'm okay, my water hasn't broken yet, so I still have plenty of time," she said as she continued walking.**

"**Where are you going?" Rossi asked.**

"**I've gotta pee…again," Kara muttered, before stopping short. "SHIT!" she yelled.**

**Hotch ran to her, the rest of the team close behind.**

"**Baby, what happened?" Hotch asked.**

**Rolling her eyes on a groan, Kara answered, "Either my water just broke or I totally just pissed myself."**

"**Aww, cuz, where'd you get language like that?" Derek asked, a smirk on his face.**

**Glancing up at him, Kara laughed, "Are you kidding? You taught me piss when I was six. You taught me all the dirty words when I was 12 and then when I turned 18 you taught me every word in the sexual vocabulary that I'd need to turn my man on."**

**The group laughed as Derek looked away sheepishly, scratching the back of his bald head, flinching when Penelope smacked him with the back of her hand.**

"**Hey, thanks for that Derek," Hotch teased shaking Derek's hand, which only made the group laugh harder, that is until Kara groaned again, another contraction gripping her.**

"**When was the last one?" JJ asked, immediately stepping in charge.**

"**Um…about five minutes ago," Reid responded, a little excited to actually be able to be present at the birth of a child.**

"**Okay, it's definitely time to head to the hospital," JJ remarked. Turning to Hotch she stated, "Call her doctor and let her know that we're on our way to the hospital." Turning to Derek she said, "Call your aunt and ask her to meet us there with Kara's hospital bag, the rest of the family, and with Jack." Turning to Rossi, "Go get Hotch's car." To Prentiss, "I need you to drive Kara's Explorer." To Penelope, "I need you to go through her purchases, leave the three car seats, some onesies, socks, shoes, hats, pacifiers, and blankets in the car, take the rest of the stuff and put it in your car and drop it off at Kara and Hotch's place." To Reid, "You, help me get her to the car." When everyone still stood there looking at Kara in fascination, JJ yelled, "MOVE PEOPLE! MOVE!" which caused everyone to take off and to follow the orders given to them. Taking Kara's arm, JJ began to walk with her to the elevator, Reid on her other side as Hotch followed behind them on the phone with the doctor.**

**Kara struggled to stay calm and to focus on her breathing, but the contractions were getting worse with each one, becoming closer together. **_**God, please don't let me deliver my babies in the BAU or in the car, I want to deliver them in the hospital, with lots and lots of drugs flowing through my veins, because I'm going to SO need that epidural**_**, Kara prayed as she climbed into the backseat of Hotch's new Explorer. As Rossi drove, Hotch and JJ coached and breathed with Kara through her contractions, Reid sitting in the front seat, his nervousness over the labor causing him to quote statistics about childbirth and the parenting of multiples. Rather than annoying Kara, his incessant rambling was actually calming her down, giving her something to focus on. Within twenty minutes of leaving the BAU, the first two vehicles arrived at the hospital, the occupants all filed out and headed into the lobby. After fifteen minutes of being admitted, the BAU team, minus Hotch, Kara, and JJ, whose previous childbearing experience had caused Kara to yell at the doctor that she wanted her in the room, were sitting in the waiting room. Within five minutes of their arrival, Kara's family: her parents: Travin and Mary, her aunt and Derek's mother: Fran, and Derek's sisters: Sarah and Desiree had arrived, with Hotch's son: Jack, in tow, all of their eyes alight with excitement.**

**The sounds of Kara screaming in pain could be heard and Travin grinned before stating, "That's my little angel, she always had a powerful set of pipes in her, it's why her voice is so husky." The group in the waiting room laughed. Turning to Derek, Penelope said in all seriousness, "We're going to wait a little while before we get pregnant, I need to try and build up my mental strength for it." Derek merely laughed as he hugged her tightly. Another scream from Kara's room had the group quiet. When they heard Kara's loud, "AARON HOTCHNER! YOU ARE NEVER TOUCHING ME AGAIN!" they all laughed.**

**Things were not so happy in the delivery room. While the labor was progressing rapidly, the doctor was slightly concerned. Checking on the babies, she turned with sad eyes to the nurse, "Get an OR room ready, we're going to have to do a Cesarean," she said before turning back to Kara and Hotch, "It seems that the babies are in distress. You won't be able to deliver them normally, we're going to have to give you a C-section. Remember we talked about that?" Kara nodded, just before her body twisted in agony. "Okay, good, let's go," the doctor stated as nurses came in to wheel Kara into the OR.**

**Hotch walked out with Kara, holding her hand, not once looking at the group sitting in the waiting room, so it was up to JJ to tell them what happened.**

"**Oh, my poor baby," Mary said before crying silent tears.**

"**C'mon Aunt Mary, let's go to the chapel and pray," Desiree suggested as she stood. One by one, Kara's family members, all except Derek, walked to the chapel to pray, until all that was left was the BAU team and Jack, who looked extremely concerned.**

"**Hey Jack-ee boy, are you okay?" Penelope asked, taking the little boy in her arms.**

**Jack merely shrugged.**

"**C'mon, you know you can tell your good ole Aunt P," Penelope encouraged.**

"**Okay," Jack began hesitantly, "Me and Daddy weally loved Mommy and she went away, and now me and Daddy weally love Kawa and the babies, awe they gonna go away too?" Jack asked, his little voice confused and filled with heartbreaking emotion.**

"**No! Oh no, honey! Kara and the babies are going to be just fine. It's just that they're so special that the doctor wants to be very careful with them," Penelope explained, choking back tears at the little boy's expense.**

"**That's right Jack. The doctor has to be very, very careful with your little brother and two little sisters, but don't worry, they'll be right out, with Kara and they'll all be okay," Rossi said, choking back tears of his own.**

"**I suwe hope so, 'cause Daddy bought Kawa a wing a LONG time ago and he told me that he wanted to mawwy her and give me a second mommy and I think he would be weally sad if he lost a second mommy," Jack explained matter of factly, his eyes focused on Penelope's face.**

**The BAU team all shared a look of shock, **_**Hotch was going to propose to Kara? They were all extremely shocked, but so very happy, and they could only hope that the operation would go well and that Hotch would have the opportunity to actually place that ring on Kara's finger.**_


	12. AJ, Liz, Emie and Weddings

You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. I know that last chapter was a little difficult for those of us who love little Jack, but I hope that you will keep reading. Thanks!

*CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.*

_**What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.-Ralph Waldo Emerson.**_

**Doctor Michelle Jackson would forever talk about operating on SSA Kara Morgan. When she was wheeled into the operating room, Kara was upset, depending on Aaron to be her source of strength. She was prepped for surgery as Aaron was told to wash his hands and to change into scrubs. When the doctor came to perform the C-section, she stopped short when she heard Kara singing.**

_**When peace like a river attendeth my way**_

_**When sorrows like sea billows roll**_

_**Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say**_

_**It is well, It is well with my soul**_

_**It is well, with my soul**_

_**It is well, It is well with my soul**_

_**And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight**_

_**The clouds be rolled back as a scroll**_

_**The trump shall resound**_

_**And the Lord shall descend**_

_**Even so, It is well with my soul.**_

**Touched by the song and Kara's voice, Dr. Jackson was emboldened to perform the operation. Stepping forward, she smiled down at Kara who had been administered the necessary medication in order for the operation to be done. Dr. Jackson watched as SSA Aaron Hotchner walked over and grabbed onto the hand of Kara, who was still singing. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead, then he began to softly sing with her.**

**The smiles on the couple's face as Dr. Jackson brought their children to them before taking them off to be cleaned, made the doctor smile herself. Try as she might she couldn't help but listen to the couple's conversation as their last newborn, a daughter, was taken off to be cleaned.**

"**Thank you," Hotch whispered, his voice choking on a sob.**

"**For what?" Kara questioned, smiling.**

"**For giving me three of the most beautiful children in the whole world," Hotch answered, kissing Kara's forehead again.**

"**Well, you did have a hand in it, Aaron," Kara chuckled exhaustedly.**

**Shaking his head, Hotch disagreed, "No, they got all of their beauty from you. It oozes from your every pore. I prayed and asked God to make our children just like you. You're beautiful, inside and out, and if they grew up to be exactly like you, the world would be better for it."**

"**Oh Aaron, I love you so much," Kara sighed, tears rolling down the side of her face. Hotch wiped them away and kissing her on her lips replied, "I love you too. So much."**

**The family and friends of Hotch and Kara had given the couple exactly five minutes with their new babies before they flooded the private hospital room. As they exclaimed over Emerald, Elizabeth, and Aaron Jr. they all grew quiet when Jack walked up and peered at Aaron Jr. who was laying in his father's arms.**

"**I got a little bwudda!" he exclaimed turning to Penelope who was standing right behind him.**

**The room exploded with happy laughter and applause then. "Yes, you are little Jack-ee! You're a big brother to your little brother and two little sisters," Penelope stated.**

**At this pronouncement, Jack's eyes swung to the pink bundles, one being held by Kara and the other in the arms of her proud godfather and "uncle", Derek.**

"**I got two sistahs and one bwudda!" Jack amended his previous statement.**

**Kara turned to her mother who was standing next to Derek cooing over her grandchild, Elizabeth.**

"**Marmie? Can you take Emie for me?" Kara asked.**

"**Gladly," Mary said chuckling as she scooped up her granddaughter from her daughter's arms.**

**Turning to Jack, Kara opened her arms, "Come 'ere Jack-ee boy." When the little boy climbed up onto the bed next to Kara, she put her arms around him. The other adults in the room, got very quiet in order to hear the conversation between Kara and Jack.**

"**Do you know how special you are Jack?" she asked, when Jack shook his head no, Kara continued, "Not only did God bless you with a little brother and two little sisters, and make you a big brother, but you're also going to be my own little special helper."**

**Jack's eyes grew wide at this news, "Weally?" he asked, his voice a loud whisper of awe.**

"**Of course!" Kara smiled, "Daddy has to go back to work, so it's just going to be you and me taking care of the babies while he's at work, so I'm going to need your help. And then when I go back to work, I'm going to need you to help the babysitter watch the babies. So you see, Jack, you are so special to me now, even more special than you were already, because now you get to be my little helper angel," Kara explained, her eyes tearing up when Jack hugged her tightly.**

"**I love you Kawa," Jack whispered a few minutes into the hug.**

"**I love you too Jack Hotchner," Kara responded, her eyes coming up and connecting with Hotch's. He smiled at her affectionately, falling more in love with her because of the way she loved and treated his son.**

**Six days later, the doctor finally released Kara and the triplets to go home. Kara stood before the babies, laying on the bed as she dressed them in their onesies, socks, shoes, and baby caps before wrapping them in their blankets and handing them off. Turning, she gave Aaron Jr., now affectionately referred to as A.J., the name given to him by Penelope, to Derek who stood with outstretched arms.**

"**Be careful with my son, Derek," Kara cautioned.**

"**Aaww, c'mon Apple Head, this is not the first baby that I've ever held. Hell, I held you when you were born," Derek laughed as he cradled the newborn in his arms, sniffing his neck and causing AJ to squeal and move around.**

**Shaking her head affectionately, Kara turned back to finish dressing the girls, handing Elizabeth to Hotch, who smiled down at his daughter, his eyes getting a little misty.**

"**Isn't she beautiful?" Hotch asked Derek, who was cooing to A.J.**

"**Yes she is man. Liz and Emie both look just like Kara when she was a baby, I mean, their skin color is obviously lighter as is their hair, she had black hair and they have light brown hair, but I mean they look just like her," Derek agreed.**

**Kara laughed as she listened to the two men talk, picking up Emie, she cuddled her close and whispered in her ear, "Yes little one, they are going to fawn like this over you and your sister for the rest of your lives, and unfortunately, they both work for the FBI, which means that you're going to hate every date that you go on and it will be very special men indeed that pass their tests and has the opportunity to marry you and your sister."**

"**You damn right," Hotch and Derek said, having heard Kara's words.**

**The three laughed delightedly as Kara sat down in the hospital provided wheelchair. Taking Emie and Liz in her arms, Kara kissed the top of A.J.'s head before Hotch, who had grabbed the bags from the room, pushed her out of the room and down the hall into the elevator. Derek had pulled Kara's Explorer, which had been left at the hospital, up to the front for the new family. Hotch opened the trunk and put the bags in. Derek had opened the back door and placed A.J. in the blue car seat designated for him, before buckling him in. Turning back to Kara, he took Emie into his arms and placed her in her seat, strapping her in. Kara gave Liz a soft kiss on the forehead before handing her to Derek who placed her in her seat also and strapped her in. Kara stood up gingerly from the wheelchair, helped up by Hotch, who was waiting for her. She stepped up into the front passenger seat and sat down, the seatbelt already buckled behind her, **_**old habits die hard,**_** she thought to herself. Turning she smiled at Derek who was sitting on the very back row of seats, directly behind the triplets, leaning forward to smile at the newborns, who smiled broadly at him.**

**Kara handed Derek the camera sitting in her lap, "D, take pictures for me," she asked.**

"**Sure thing, Apple Head," Derek agreed, accepting the camera and snapping pictures in rapid succession.**

**Hotch climbed into the driver's seat and starting up the car, drove them home. Kara's eyes closed as soon as Hotch pulled away from the hospital and was asleep within three minutes. When Hotch pulled up in front of his apartment, he sighed. Turning to Kara, he saw that she was sleeping. He turned all the way around to look at Derek.**

"**I hate to wake her," he admitted, turning to look back at Kara.**

"**Yeah, I know the feeling. Whenever she used to sleep over at my mom's house she'd fall asleep watching a movie or something and we'd all just look at her. She looks like an angel when she's sleep, so you hate to wake her…especially because she can be a little demon when she's awake," Derek laughed.**

"**I heard that knucklehead," Kara murmured, opening her eyes slowly. Hotch and Derek chuckled and Kara stretched.**

"**I'm glad you're awake, we're going to need some help getting these babies in the house," Hotch stated.**

"**No prob," Kara said on a yawn, stretching once more, wincing from the effort before opening the door and climbing out.**

**It took them almost ten minutes, but finally Hotch was unlocking the door to his apartment, a smile on his face as he opened the door and Kara stepped in, holding both girls in her arms, while he held A.J. and Derek had the bags. Kara stopped short and gasped when she saw the entire BAU team and her family inside with a huge banner overhead that said "WELCOME HOME AJ, EMIE, AND LIZ!!" and they all shouted, "SURPRISE! WELCOME HOME!" Smiling widely, Kara relinquished Liz to Penelope and Emie to Prentiss, who had been telling everyone that while the newborn's name was "Emerald", the fact that her nickname was "Emie" means that she was named after her. Kara then went around and hugged everyone in the room, tears rolling down her cheeks. Turning she saw Hotch's smile as he looked at her, knowing that he'd had a hand in the whole thing. She waved at him from across the room and mouthed, "I love you." As Hotch passed AJ to his grandfather, he mouthed back, "I love you too."**

**Later that evening after everyone had left, Kara's family having gone to Derek's to sleep before they caught their flight out the next morning, Derek having gone to Penelope's to give his family more space, and the rest of the BAU team having gone back to their homes, Kara and Hotch lay in their bed, cuddling, the baby monitor on the nightstand should the triplets need them.**

"**I love how Jack is just so in love with the trips," Kara confessed, snuggling closer to Hotch.**

"**I know. He's really great with them," Hotch agreed as he ran his fingers through Kara's hair, smiling when she moaned.**

"**You know, I was thinking…" Hotch said after a few moments of silence.**

"**Hmm?" Kara murmured, on the verge of dozing off.**

"**I think we need to move. Get a bigger place," Hotch said nonchalantly.**

**Kara immediately became awake, lifting her head from Hotch's chest, she stared at him.**

"**Are you serious?" she asked.**

"**Very much so," Hotch nodded, sitting up after Kara sat up completely, the sheet falling down to around her waist, her naked breasts bouncing from her movements.**

"**So we're making this like official, official?" Kara questioned.**

"**It wasn't official before?" Hotch laughed.**

"**I mean, yeah, but it's like now it's not like your place it will be **_**our**_** place," Kara explained.**

"**I like that. I think it's perfect, it's where we need to be headed," Hotch nodded.**

**Kara bit her lip for a moment and then looking deep into his eyes she smiled widely, "I love it! I can't wait to look at houses with you," she exclaimed, kissing him passionately.**

**Hotch returned her kiss just as passionately, pulling away after a moment, "We have to stop honey, you know the doctor said that we had to wait," he said, rubbing her stomach.**

**Kara sighed, "I know." Before the new parents could lay back down, one cry, then two, then three cries were heard on the baby monitor. Smiling at each other, they stood up and put on their robes.**

"**Now the fun begins," Hotch chuckled as they headed next door to the nursery to tend to their children. Hotch stopped short, causing Kara to bump into him, she peered over his shoulder and what she saw caused tears to spring to her eyes, Jack was moving from crib to crib talking to the babies, trying to get them to stop crying. After a few minutes, the triplets had stopped crying and Jack stood in the middle of the room, looking at them as if he were their divine sentry.**

"**He's so cute," Kara whispered in Hotch's ear.**

"**He loves them a lot," Hotch replied, very proud of his son. After watching a few more moments, the couple finally stepped into the room.**

"**Kawa, I helped with the babies," Jack announced proudly.**

"**I know you did baby," Kara said, leaning over to hug the precious little boy, "thank you so much, that's why you're my helper angel," Kara finished, laughing when Jack nodded his head in complete agreement.**

"**Well, Mr. Helper Angel, you need to go to bed, we're going for a ride tomorrow," Hotch said, scooping Jack up and taking him back to bed.**

**Kara moved to the first bed, taking Liz into her arms, she moved to the changing table and changed the newborn. Kissing her forehead, she returned her to her crib. Kara moved to Emie's crib and A.J.'s, changing both of them. Wondering what was keeping Hotch, she turned and saw him in the doorway with three bottles in his hands.**

"**My hero," she whispered, smiling.**

**Each of them took one baby and sat in a rocking chair and fed them. Kara holding A.J. and Hotch holding Emie. A.J. finished first and after burping him and putting him back in his crib where he fell asleep quickly, Kara picked up Liz, whom she fed, burped and put back to sleep. Emie having already been returned to her bed. The two parents stood in the nursery looking at their sleeping babies, before returning back to their own room and their own bed, knowing that they needed to try to get as much sleep as they could before the "trips" woke up again.**

**It took three weeks, one delay because of a case, but Hotch and Kara finally found a house to buy, with Derek's help, of course. It was definitely the largest house that either had ever lived in, but with their interests, and their desire to have more children, they knew that they needed more space. The house was two stories, five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, master suite, with library, office, large kitchen and large dining room, family room and formal living room, with a large garden, patio, balcony off the master suite, pool and hot tub. They knew that it was a steal when they found it, but with Kara and Derek's knowledge of real estate and Hotch's connections and Penelope's genius with the computer, the couple found grants, tax breaks, and loans to help them buy their dream home. After closing, the couple contacted Hotch's brother, Shawn and his girlfriend, Kathryn, to come and babysit for them while they moved the furniture and boxes over, recruiting the BAU team to assist.**

**They were taking over the first load of boxes, late in the afternoon and had pulled up in the driveway when Kara noticed lights on in the house.**

"**Baby, did you leave the lights on when you were here earlier today?" she asked Hotch as they got out of the car.**

"**Hhmm…I don't know, I don't think so, maybe I did," Hotch answered nonchalantly.**

**Kara's years of criminal justice experience and her years in the FBI, caused her to grab her gun from her ankle holster. Hotch noticed and laughed.**

"**Honey, we have the best security system in the world, I don't think that someone has broken in, but I'll go check it out, wait here," Hotch chuckled, walking up to the front door with his arms filled with boxes, putting his key in the lock he walked in. Kara stood on the walkway as the rest of the BAU team walked up to her.**

"**What's going on?" Prentiss asked, juggling the two boxes she was holding.**

"**I've got Aaron checking out the house, the lights were on, I just want to make sure," looking at the rest of the team, she rolled her eyes and laughed at their expressions, "Don't profile me you guys. I'm a new mother, moving into a new neighborhood and I work for the FBI, allow me this one time to be paranoid and overly protective."**

**The group laughed and began walking forward when they heard Hotch's yell, "Kara, it's clear!" The group walked ahead of Kara, quickly walking inside, Kara raised her eyebrows at their haste, muttering under her breath, "They act like the boxes are so heavy, you'd think agents would have more physical strength and patience." She walked in the door and following the lights, she stopped at the entrance to the formal living room. The room was filled with white candles that gave off the scent of vanilla, Kara's favorite fragrance. White tulips and red roses filled the room. Red and white petals covered the floor. Against one wall was the white painted sideboard that Kara and Hotch had found in a thrift shop and had sanded and painted. Sitting on top of the sideboard were framed pictures of Kara and Hotch and of the triplets and Jack. Standing around the room, each holding a dozen roses, either red or white, was the BAU team and in the middle of the room on one knee was Hotch. Kara was glad that the box she was holding only had blankets in them because she dropped it immediately, her hands flying up to cover her mouth and tears filling her eyes. Shaking her head in disbelief, she slowly walked forward towards Hotch, when "Endless Love" began to play softly in the background. She came to a stop directly in front of Hotch, looking down at him, tears streaming down her face as she saw his eyes fill with tears.**

"**I grew up believing that a man got one chance at true love and happiness. When Hayley and I separated, I thought that I had lost that chance, but when I met you the first time, the seeds of hope were planted in my heart. Seeing you again after all that time had passed, I was amazed that my heart still pounded whenever I thought of you or saw you. My breath caught in my chest every time I smelled your perfume or saw you smile. Spending time with you, watching you be you, made me fall head over heels in love with you. I love your eyes, your smile, your curves, your long legs. I love the color of your skin. I love the fact that you can talk incessantly, but that everything you say is interesting. I love the fact that when you laugh, you laugh with your whole body. I love that your heart is so big, that you never think twice about giving to someone in need. I love that you're proud of your family and your heritage. That you still giggle about your childhood with Derek. That you love my son just as deeply and just as fiercely as you love our babies. I love the sound of your voice, whether you're singing or talking. I love the way your mind works. That you're so talented and so intelligent that it blows me away. That you're fearless, strong, open-minded. I love you. I could tell you everyday all day about the little things I love about you, the big things about you that stop my heart in my chest, and I would go into eternity, still telling you. I want to do more than just live with you, I want to marry you. I want to be your husband, I want you to be my wife. I want to make more babies with you. I want your face to be the last one I see every night and the first one I see every morning. I want to spend my life loving you and showing you how happy you've made me. You make me want to live, you make me feel young, you make me happy, you make me want to be a better man, a better father. Please do me the honor of agreeing to be my wife," Hotch said, his words flowing easily from his lips, not needing to be written down, memorized, or rehearsed, but purely coming from the heart.**

**Huge, silent tears rolled down Kara's cheeks as she looked into Hotch's eyes, smiling she said, "It's about damn time Aaron Hotchner! Of course I'll marry you!" accepting the huge engagement ring on her left ring finger before throwing her arms around Hotch as he stood to his full height. He hugged her tightly and swung her around, laughing happily. The BAU team clapped and cheered for the newly affianced couple.**

**Kara wiped away her tears as she hugged the girls and showed them the ring, Hotch accepted the hugs and pats on the back from the guys and even smiled at Derek's thinly veiled threat of, "You BETTER take care of my baby cousin, Hotch, or I will risk life in prison and the death penalty to hunt you down and kill you." When Hotch nodded his head and agreed the two men hugged and Derek welcomed Hotch "unofficially" to the family. Penelope and Reid headed into the kitchen and came out with champagne and glasses for everyone. The group toasted to the new couple and chatted for a moment, before Kara sat down her glass and said, "Okay everyone, not that I'm not happy to be newly engaged, but we've got a ton of boxes to move in, furniture to unpack, and I've got babies to get home to so…chop, chop!"**

**Everyone saluted and headed out the door, Rossi teasing, "It's like having another JJ around."**

"**I will take that as a huge compliment," Kara said overhearing, a smile in her voice.**

"**As will I," JJ said, giving Rossi a mock glare.**

**The group worked hard and fast, having to make two more trips to get all of the furniture and boxes from the home, until finally the apartment was cleared of everything. Sending Kara and Hotch to their new home with Jack, A.J., Liz and Emie, Penelope, Prentiss, Derek, Rossi and Reid stayed behind at the apartment to clean it thoroughly and make it look like new. The couple only minorly protested, before gladly accepting the help and going to their new home to sleep.**

**Just a few short weeks later, it was FINALLY time for Derek and Penelope's wedding. Kara amazingly had regained the body that she'd had BEFORE getting pregnant, and because of that fact, her dress had to be altered at the last moment. She smiled at her reflection and once again offered up a prayer of thanks to God for giving her good genes. Turning she watched as Penelope walked out into the sitting area of the bridal room in the church and gasped. "Oh my gosh Pen! You look absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed, fawning over the beautiful bride.**

**Penelope had found the most beautiful gown. It was off the shoulder, with a beaded bodice and a satin skirt, clinging to her generous curves and flowing delicately behind her. The dress was white with purple and white beading on the bodice. Penelope's hair was curled and framed her face, a silver circlet upon her head, given to her by Derek, with a note attached that merely said "Goddess." Penelope smiled, blushing slightly before turning to be inspected by all the women in the room. JJ who was the maid of honor moved close to Penelope, fixing her dress. The knock on the door signified that it was time for the ladies to get into position. The women all stepped out, their purple gowns all clinging to their curves, making them all look beautiful. Kara saw Hotch who was walking Penelope down the aisle, standing off to the side. Wanting desperately to go and give him a kiss, but know that if she did they would smudge her makeup, she settled for blowing him a kiss instead, with a promise to herself that she would kiss him after the pictures had been taken.**

**The ceremony was beautiful, with Kara singing Etta James's "At Last" to the couple and Prentiss's reading of William Shakespeare's 32nd**** sonnet. When the pastor pronounced Penelope Garcia and Derek Morgan as husband and wife, the church erupted with applause, with everyone yelling, "IT'S ABOUT TIME!" to the couple, who merely laughed and then kissed each other deeply. Kara wiped away more tears when the pastor stated, "Ladies and Gentleman, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Derek Morgan!" She was so extremely happy for the two of them. They deserved every happiness and she was glad that Derek had found someone to spend the rest of his life with, who loved him just as much as he loved her. Walking forward and falling into the wedding party's recessional, Kara smiled and blew a kiss at her parents who were holding the babies during the ceremony.**

**The reception was a boisterous, typical Morgan affair. With dancing and singing and lots of laughter. Penelope felt like her heart was going to explode from all of the love that she felt in the room that day, from everyone. Derek's family had truly accepted her into the fold and she found that they were very quick to call her Mrs. Derek Morgan or Mrs. Morgan. Penelope found herself grinning stupidly as she thought about the fact that she was married to Derek Morgan, her hunky, sexy, chocolate Adonis. She looked at him where he danced with Kara on the dance floor, doing their routine for their family and smiled. He was going to make an amazing father one day, she just knew it, but as she heard one of the triplets cry and watched as Hotch left the room to tend to the baby and then Kara left soon after when one of the other babies started to cry, she knew that it would not be soon. She wanted to enjoy Derek, by herself, all alone, she wanted to indulge herself and then they could talk about having kids of their own.**

**Kara turned off the lights downstairs in the home that she shared with Hotch, making her way slowly upstairs. She heard Jack in the bathroom brushing his teeth and she stuck her head in to say goodnight. She made her way down the hall and into the nursery, expecting to find Hotch there. The triplets were fast asleep, but he wasn't there. "Aaron?" she called out. "In here babe!" he called out from the bedroom. Making her way to the master suite, she saw him standing out on the balcony, walking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist.**

"**Hey you, everything okay?" she asked.**

"**Yeah, it's practically idyllic," Hotch answered.**

"**So what's the problem?" she questioned, confused.**

"**For how long?" he responded, turning around to take her in his arms, "how long do I have with you and the kids before another case comes up? Before I have to leave again? And then when you return to work, what about the kids then?"**

**Kara looked up at him, worry evident in her eyes, "Do you not want me to come back to work?" she asked.**

"**No! That's not what I'm saying…I guess, I'm just struggling to not get too comfortable, you know? This all feels so wonderful and perfect, but I know that at any moment, it can all be shattered, with just one UnSub."**

**Kara sighed, "Aaron, if we spend the rest of our life with our guards constantly up, always waiting for the other shoe to drop, afraid to really experience life, we'll never get a chance to truly enjoy it. We have to experience and enjoy the little moments and treasures that life gives us or we'll get to the end of our life and realize that we never lived. Then our relationship will have suffered and our kids will suffer and we don't want that, it's our job to make sure that that doesn't happen. We can't be paranoid, we know how short and fickle life is, we have to enjoy it and experience it while we have the chance."**

**Hotch nodded, kissing the top of Kara's head. "You're right as always, I just get a little melancholy. Thanks for snapping me out of it."**

**Kara inclined her head in a haughty, royal queen way and then ruined the effect by laughing out loud when Hotch scooped her up and carried her back into their bedroom. As Hotch laid her down on the bed amist her squeals and giggles, Kara realized how lucky they were to be as in love as they were.**

**Kara knew that she was entitled to three months of maternity leave after having had the triplets, but after two months, she was chomping at the bit to get back to profiling, UnSubs, and wearing two guns. So after much talking, debating, and arguing with Hotch, Derek, Penelope, Prentiss, and JJ with only Rossi and Reid on her side, Kara had finally gotten the chance to talk to Strauss and had returned to the BAU. On her first day she walked into the bullpen and inhaled deeply, exhaling with a contented sigh. Walking over to her desk, she laughed as she saw that the BAU team had put streamers and balloons all over her desk with a small cake that said "Welcome Back!" on it. Taking down the balloons and puncturing a small hole in them near the knot so that they wouldn't pop but would slowly deflate, but leaving up the streamers, Kara sat down at her desk and reaching into her bag put up pictures of her and Hotch in front of their new house, her and Jack, Jack and Hotch, Jack and Hotch and the triplets in the garden, her and the triplets, Jack and the triplets, Hotch and the triplets, Jack, Hotch, and the triplets. When she was finished her desk was almost covered with just framed pictures alone. Looking up when she heard a deep chuckle, Kara rolled her eyes at Derek who was standing behind her.**

"**What's up D? How's married life treating you?" she asked as Derek sat down on the edge of her desk.**

**Derek's eyes lit up as they always did when he talked about or thought about his wife. "It's the most amazing thing in the world. I didn't think I could love her any more than I did the day we got married, but I do. I love her more and more each day" he said, loving shining through in his words.**

**Kara nodded, she could totally understand what he was feeling, "So when are you two gonna have some kids and give Auntie Fran some grandbabies?" she teased, laughing when Derek shushed her and put his hand over her mouth.**

"**Ssshhh! Don't let Pen hear you talk about her having children! She starts to freak out every time someone brings it up," Derek said, his eyes darting around the room as he looked for his wife. Taking his hand off of his cousin's mouth, Derek and Kara shared a big laugh before looking up when they heard JJ's voice.**

"**Conference room guys, we've got a case. We're heading to North Dakota," JJ stated.**

"**North Dakota?" Kara asked, standing and walking next to Derek as they followed Prentiss, Rossi and Reid into the conference room, "Are there any people that actually live in North Dakota?" she questioned.**

**Derek and Prentiss laughed as they walked into the conference room. After being debriefed, Hotch told the team that wheels would be up in half an hour. The team dispersed to grab their ready bags, Kara giving Hotch a quick kiss on the lips before heading down to get her bag and calling Shawn and Kathryn to ask if they could watch the kids while she and Hotch went on a case. When they said yes, Kara breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled as she hung up. It felt good to be back to work. Really good.**

_**Thanks for the reviews guys! My muse kicked in late today, it's 1:33am and I'm just finishing this chapter. But it was a fun one to write. So happy that Pen and Derek are married and Hotch and Kara are engaged! And the triplets are okay too! There are many more exciting things coming for the BAU team, so stay tuned. Please review! Thanks!!**_


	13. Bismarck, ND

**You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. The last chapter was really fun for me to write, and you guys got to see how much of a romantic I am. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

The team was spread out on the plane. Derek was in a chair, his iPod playing in his ears, already missing his wife, who hadn't gone with the team this time. Reid and Rossi were playing chess, well, Reid was playing chess, and Rossi was trying to change the rules of chess to checkers. Prentiss was reading a book. JJ was looking over the logistics of the latest case, what communication had been made by the UnSub, what communication had been made with the newspapers and local television station. Hotch was looking over the crime scene photos. Kara sat across from him, sketching a picture of the triplets and Jack. Looking up she saw that Hotch's eyes were on her. She raised her left eyebrow at him in a questioning manner.

"What's up?" she asked, putting her sketchpad and pencil down.

Laughing, Hotch answered, "Nothing. I was just watching you. It's like you can do anything and be amazing at it."

Leaning forward, Kara said in a conspiratorial whisper, "It's true. I can," before sitting back in her chair as she and Hotch chuckled. Hotch went back to the photos in front of him, trying to see anything about the UnSub from the photos, as Kara went back to sketching.

The BAU team climbed out of their respective SUVs and walked towards the crime scene in Bismarck, ND. JJ walked up to the lead officer and introduced the team.

"My name is Agent Jennifer Jareau, we spoke over the phone," she started with the introductions, "this is Agent Aaron Hotchner, Agent David Rossi, Agent Emily Prentiss, Dr. Spencer Reid, Agent Derek Morgan and Agent Kara Morgan," she finished each agent stepping forward to shake hands.

"I'm Lieutenant Brody," the officer stated, turning to Derek and Kara he said, "A married couple working together? That's got to be hard."

Laughing, the cousins shook their head, "Nah, she's my cousin. My wife's back in Quantico."

"My apologies," Lt Brody apologized, inclining his head, his eyes moving over Kara now that he was aware that she wasn't married, she looked very familiar to him, she and her _cousin. Remembering that he was working he turned back to the crime scene._

"_Justin Carney, 28 years old, on his way home from work. His body was found by a street sweeper. It appears as if he were sexually assaulted, his throat was cut, and then he was stripped naked," Lt Brody explained the crime._

"_Stripping a victim naked signifies that the UnSub wants the victim humiliated, vulnerable, embarrassed even in death," Reid stated matter-of-factly._

"_So this was personal, maybe the UnSub knew the victim?" Prentiss questioned as she leaned down to inspect the body._

_Kara's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to the victim's head. Squatting she looked closer, before pulling out her gloves and putting them on._

"_You see something Kara?" Derek asked coming to stand close to her._

"_I'm not sure yet," Kara murmured as she ran her fingers through the victim's hair, slowly sifting the strands through her fingers, stopping when she found what she was looking for. Separating the victim's hair she said, "Yeah, that's what I thought," before sighing. There in the center of the victim's head was a swastika and the letters A.N._

"_Aryan Nation?" Morgan asked, seeing the initials._

_Nodding Kara stood up. "I knew that something about the vic- looked familiar. I remember a case with a homosexual man who was killed, throat slashed, signs of a violent sexual encounter and on the heel of his foot, the killer had carved the swastika symbol and the letters A.N._

"_So this is a hate crime? Against homosexuals?" Lt Brody asked, "We don't really have a large homosexual population here in Bismarck."_

"_Exactly. The UnSub could be doing what we call a 'cleansing.' Trying to rid the city, the county, or even the state of what he considers evil," Rossi stated._

"_Or it could even be that he was recruited by the Aryan Nation to come to this particular area in order to do a cleansing," Prentiss amended._

"_Is that typical?" Lt Brody asked._

"_The Aryan Nation feels as though they are called of God to either cleanse the world or to atleast cleanse the nation of America by ridding it of minorities and homosexuals," Hotch remarked._

"_Although in this instance, the fact that the vics of these cases were sexually assaulted suggests that the UnSub may be struggling with his own sexuality," Derek said, pulling his latex gloves off._

"_What?" Lt Brody questioned._

"_It's likely that the UnSub is a white male who is struggling with the fact that he has homosexual urges. He was more than likely raised in a strict religious household. Parents raised him to believe that race mixing, homosexuality, and abortion is wrong. He has a fierce hatred for minorities, but with the current state of our nation, he can't really show it. He's probably working in a medium level job, I'd say around mid-30s, his father is probably his driving force to his way of thinking. He's on a mission, so he won't stop until he's done or until we stop him," Kara said, her eyes looking down at the victim._

"_You got all of that from one victim? From one inscription?" Lt Brody was amazed._

_Looking at Lt. Brody, Kara responded, "I got all of that from all four victims, the reports of the conditions of the bodies and because of the fact that I'm a black woman in America. Derek and I have a lot of experiences and stories to do with the Aryan Nation and growing up in Chicago. I also know that this UnSub is only going to grow more violent in the kills and will increase the number of victims."_

"_So why isn't he only targeting minorities or minority homosexuals?" Lt Brody asked as he walked back with the BAU team to their waiting vehicles._

"_It's likely that he is targeting homosexuals because there isn't a large minority population here in Bismarck, or even in North Dakota for that matter," Rossi explained._

"_It's too cold for all of that," Derek said, causing the group to laugh._

"_It could also be that he sees homosexuality to be more of a threat and because it's something that he likely struggles with himself, it causes him to lash out at those that remind him of his own proposed evilness," Reid commented._

"_So because he's fighting with his own homosexuality, it's causing him to lash out at these homosexuals?" Lt. Brody inquired._

"_It's why he's only targeting homosexuals," Hotch said, looking towards Derek he said, "Call Garcia…I mean, call Penelope and get her to check out any places that our vics may have frequented, anything that they may have in common."_

"_I'm on it," Derek said, smirking at Hotch's mistake. Climbing into the driver's seat of the SUV, Derek called his wife._

"_Good afternoon, my gorgeous sexy love machine," Penelope said with a smile._

"_Hey Baby. I got a favor to ask of you," Derek laughed._

"_I mean I guess I can, but you know it's kind of inappropriate for us to be having phone sex while we're working," Penelope answered cheekily._

"_Penelope Morgan! Behave!" Derek remarked, chuckling as Kara, Prentiss and Reid climbed into the SUV and they headed towards the station. "I need you to check out our four victims, see if there are any places that they frequented, bars, hotels, theaters, check receipts, we need to find out a connection."_

"_Tell her to also check out social networking and personal sites that they may have frequented, maybe there's a trail there," Kara suggested from the passenger seat as she sent a text message to Shawn asking him about the children. Receiving a text message that they were okay, followed by a picture of Jack trying to feed A.J. some of his spaghetti, Kara smiled and then refocused her mind on the case._

"_How hard is this for you Kara?" Prentiss asked._

"_What do you mean?" Kara questioned._

"_Having to leave your kids and then taking on a case where the Aryan Nation is involved?" Prentiss wondered._

_Kara shrugged and then looked at Derek, whose jaw had clenched at the mention of the Aryan Nation. "Of course it was hard leaving my babies and Jack, but this thing with the A.N….it's like, it's just a part of life. It sucks, it makes us angry, but, we've learned to deal with it," Kara explained as Derek pulled up in front of the station and cut off the engine. The interior of the car was deathly silent as the agents climbed out of the car and headed into the station. As soon as they walked in, Derek's phone rang. "Hey Sexy, whatchu got for me?" he asked as he picked up the phone._

"_Check this out Hot Stuff, all four of these men voted 'Yes' on the Proposition 8 for the legalization of marriage," Penelope answered, the typing of her fingers, furiously against the keys heard distinctly over the phone._

"_Hold on Baby Girl," Derek said, calling for everyone's attention, he put her on speakerphone, "How many people voted yes in Bismarck?" he inquired._

"_A lot," Penelope responded._

"_How many of those were openly gay men?" Rossi inquired. The station listened as Penelope typed._

"_There are 12 who have listed or advertised their homosexuality online or in a public manner, who live in the Bismarck area," she answered after a few moments._

"_Twelve left or twelve in all?" Prentiss wondered._

"_Twelve in all," Penelope clarified._

"_Which means that there are eight men left," Kara said._

"_I'm sending you their names and addresses right now," Penelope explained._

"_JJ, let's get out the profile to the public. The rest of us will go to inform the remaining men about the UnSub. Because of the violence of the crimes and the fact that the victims were sexually assaulted, that means that the UnSub had time to spend with the victims, maybe in their home or his own. Reid, I need you to map out the possible geographical location of the UnSub. Lieutenant Brody, you need to let your officers know that they need to be on the lookout for the other eight men and see if there seems to be any man who seems to have an uncommon interest in them," Hotch declared._

_As everyone rolled out, Kara found herself walking next to Hotch out to the SUV. They were informing the first two possible victims of the danger to them. Hotch walked around and climbed in, Kara hurrying right after him. As the BAU team and the officers headed out to warn the possible victims and to canvas the area for the UnSub, JJ released the profile to the general public._

_Later that night, the BAU team headed back to their hotel, their search having come up empty. "Tomorrow's another day, everyone get some sleep," Hotch suggested as the team dispersed._

_Kara smiled at Hotch as they walked to the elevators together. "I'm going to call Shawn and Kathryn and wish the kids a good night, do you want to come with me or would you rather call them from your room?" Kara asked as they waited on the elevator to show up._

_Taking Kara in his arms, Hotch kissed her deeply, the two agents unaware that they were being watched and photographed. "I'll come to your room and talk to them there, that way we can talk to them at the same time." As they stepped into the elevator, their arms around each other, the case momentarily forgotten as they thought about their children back in Quantico, they could never know that their public display was going to cause such a huge reaction from the UnSub._

"_Daddy! Kawa!" Jack exclaimed happily as he heard their voices on the phone._

"_Hello precious boy!" Kara greeted just as eagerly._

"_Hello my big boy, how are the babies?" Hotch asked, knowing that Jack would jump at the opportunity to show them how much he'd been helping._

"_Good! I helped Uncle Shawn feed them! A.J. thwew up, but then he ate again," Jack relayed solemnly. Kara and Hotch looked at each other and smiled._

"_You're such a good helper Jack," Kara encouraged._

_After a few more minutes of talking to Jack, then to Shawn and Kathryn, and then Kara singing to Jack and the trips, Kara and Hotch hung up the phone. Sighing happily they leaned back against the headboard on the bed._

"_So are you going to tell me about you and Derek's run-in with the Aryan Nation?" Hotch murmured, turning to look at Kara._

_Closing her eyes, Kara sighed. She'd known that he was going to ask her eventually, she just thought that she had more time to prepare herself. Opening her mouth, Kara was grateful for the knock on the door. Sighing gratefully, Kara slid off the bed, ignoring Hotch's chuckle at her barely feigned relief. Opening the door, Kara found herself face to face with Derek._

"_Penelope is grilling me about what happened to us in Chicago," he muttered, "I don't understand why she won't just leave it alone."_

"_Well Derek, she is your wife, she's kinda entitled," Kara said laughing, "If it's any consolation, Aaron was just asking me," Kara said motioning towards the bed where Hotch lay._

_Derek walked in nodding at Hotch. No sooner had Kara begun to close the door then there was another knock, standing in the hallway was Prentiss and JJ. Gesturing, Kara invited them in. Within two minutes the entire BAU team had assembled, even Penelope was in on the upcoming conversation via-web video._

"_Kara and I were hanging out at the Sears tower one day and had decided to go and get something to eat. As we were walking this group of guys came up behind us. Kara was 10, I was 18, getting ready to go off to college, so I thought I was pretty tough. This group of guys jumped us. We got into a pretty big fight with them. I remember just thinking that I had to protect Kara. They beat us up pretty bad," Derek explained._

"_Derek got the worst of it, fighting them off and trying to keep most of their focus on him," Kara interrupted, "But when they were done, they spray painted the swastika symbol on our chests and took a knife and cut A.N. on my ankle," she finished showing everyone her right ankle where the letters A.N. had been changed to K.A.M. "It's only lucky for me that my mother named me Kara Ann Morgan," she chuckled._

"_I still feel guilty that it even happened to her," Derek said, clenching his jaw._

"_Derek, it wasn't your fault. You protected me as best as you could, it would've been much worse if you hadn't been there," Kara disagreed, "You know that's the day that you became my hero," she admitted nudging him with his shoulder._

"_Wow, there's a lot more to you Morgans than what meets the eye huh?" Prentiss asked, which sparked laughter from the two in question. The rest of the group joined in hesitantly._

"_Hey guys, don't let this bother you. It was 18 years ago. We've both moved past it," Kara admonished them._

"_Did they ever catch the guys that jumped you?" Hotch asked, putting his arm around Kara._

"_Most of them," she answered._

"_Yeah, there was this one boy, his parents didn't live in the area, they just had family that lived there and they were visiting. They said that their son was a good boy, had never been in trouble before, and that he'd only been hanging out with his cousins," Derek said._

"_Do you think that was true?" Rossi inquired._

"_I remember that there was this one boy…he didn't get involved, he just kind of stood there watching," Kara said, "One of the boys yelled at him and told him to help them hold onto Derek…what was his name?"_

_The group grew quiet when JJ's phone rang. Answering it, she spoke for a few moments before turning to the group, "They found two more men, they checked them out, they had swastikas and A.N. in their hair."_

_The group stood up to leave, letting Penelope know that they would call her from the crime scene, as they got ready to leave, Kara slapped her forehead, "Matthew! His name was Matthew Brody! They called him Matt during the fight and I remember my parents talking about how the Brodys were able to talk and pay their son out of a sentence." The team froze in their tracks then, realizing what Kara had just said._

"_Garcia?" Hotch said, not caring that he'd gotten her name wrong._

"_I'm on it boss man," Penelope said, her voice tight with anger._

"_What are the odds that the same Matthew Brody that we're working with is the same Matthew Brody that was involved with our attack?" Derek said._

"_I'd say that the odds are far more likely than you think. In relation to North Dakotas location to Illinois, the age of Lt. Brody and the fact that the last name Brody is not as common as you would think in North America, the odds are…" Reid began._

"_Reid-" Prentiss said, shaking her head._

_The team continued to the door and as they got to the door, they noticed an envelope underneath the door. Pulling on some gloves, Kara knelt to open it, "Where did that come from?" Hotch asked._

_Shaking her head, Kara said, "I don't know." Pulling out the pictures, she gasped. They were of her and Hotch outside of the elevator._

"_What the hell?" Hotch asked._

"_I think it's a warning, he's letting us know that he's watching us," Kara explained._

_Derek's phone rang then and seeing that it was Penelope he opened it and put her on speaker, "What's up honey?" he asked._

"_Check this out. Your Lieutenant Brody is the same Matthew Brody from 10 years ago. His family tried to distance him from his cousin by moving far away. His cousin, Robert Brody, has been to jail twice in the last 10 years and listed an address in South Dakota as his last known address," Penelope responded._

"_I wonder if his cousin knows he's in town," Derek muttered._

"_I wonder if his cousin knows that he's the UnSub," Prentiss said._

"_I wonder if he's going to go off script and come after me and Hotch," Kara replied, causing a stillness to come over the group._

_This UnSub not only had a problem with homosexuals, he had a problem with blacks, and interracial relationships it seemed, and judging from the pictures, he was angry about seeing Kara and Hotch together. The BAU team knew that they had to catch the UnSub and fast, he was angry, he was devolving, and now he was making it personal._


	14. The Morgans vs The Brodys

**You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. This is a rather long chapter and I'm going to rate it "M" for the crime scene and the love scene between Kara and Hotch. Hope you all enjoy! Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_Scars remind us of where we've been, they don't have to dictate where we're going.-Joe Mantegna as David Rossi on "Criminal Minds." (Season 5 Episode 10 "The Slave of Duty")_

Lt. Matthew Brody walked into his home and sighed. He was so tired, it was amazing that he could get a full night's sleep and after a full day's work it could feel as if he hadn't slept in days. Removing his gun belt, he placed it on the hall table.

"Honey?" he called out, "Come here girl!" The dog came running around the corner, tongue out and panting.

"What have you been up to while daddy was at work?" he asked the golden haired retriever as he squatted down to pat and rub the dog.

"Nothing much, just getting reacquainted with an old family member," a voice said from the doorway to the living area.

Without thought, Matthew grabbed his gun out of his ankle holster and falling to the ground backwards, he held up the gun towards the intruder. "Freeze!" he yelled out.

Laughing, the intruder said, "Oh c'mon cuz. Has it been so long that you've seen me that you've forgotten what I look like?"

Focusing his attention on the intruder, Matthew realized that the man standing in the doorway was his cousin, Robert.

"Robbie?" Matthew said.

"Hey there Mattie-boy, how's the life of being an officer?" Robert questioned as he tossed two grapes into his mouth and chewed them.

"I'm a lieutenant," Matthew corrected, "and things are going pretty good. I mean there's this one case now that's gotten so entangled that we had to call the FBI in on it, but, I think we're close to catching the sonofabitch."

"You're a lot closer than you think," Robert smirked. Watching as Matthew stood up and glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here Robbie?" he asked.

"Cleaning up our nation," Robert answered nonchalantly as he tossed in a few more grapes, "so guess who I saw today?"

Matthew led the way into the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, "Who?"

"Remember those black bastards who got me arrested when we were kids? The ones whose parents put up such a stink about the fact that I carved A.N. in their daughter's ankle?" Robert laughed.

"Yeah…vaguely. I don't remember their names. They almost had me arrested though," Matthew stated as he grabbed a beer from the fridge and handed one to Robert.

"I'll never forget the name of the black bitch that sat in court and cried and said that she was scared that I was going to rape her cousin and then rape her," Robert growled, "Kara Morgan. As long as I live, her name is ingrained on my memory. Her and her cousin, Derek."

Matthew spluttered and choked on the beer he was drinking when he heard the names that Robert said. "Kara and Derek Morgan?" he whispered, his eyes closing in anguish as he realized that the reason that they'd looked so familiar to him is because he'd stood by and watched as his cousin and his cousin's friends, new recruits of the Aryan Nation, had beaten them up.

Looking suspiciously at Matthew, Robert continued, "I followed them back to their hotel. That black bitch is dating a white man. They were hugging and kissing all out in public. It was disgusting." He tossed his beer bottle in the trash. "It made me sick, just like seeing those fags out in public."

At Robert's use of the word fags, Matthew turned to look at him. "Fags?" he questioned.

"Yes, fags," Robert agreed, "Between them and these black mongrels it's no wonder that our nation is suffering so."

Matthew continued to drink his beer as his mind began to think back over his childhood with Robert. Robert had always been a troubled kid, his parents had told him that Robert was a little too feminine as a little boy and that his father had beat it out of him after his mother had passed away. He'd never truly understood, not until he'd caught Robert and another boy, Brock, kissing and touching each other underneath the covers at his sleepover. When he'd questioned Robert, Robert had told him that he was setting up the other boy. The next day Robert and a group of other boys had jumped Brock and beaten him up so bad that he'd had to go into the hospital. Robert's father had gotten him out of trouble, but Robert was never the same after that.

Matthew swallowed deeply, his breaths coming out in short, shallow pants, "What have you done Robert?" he asked, cursing himself for leaving his gun on the hallway table.

"I did what you should've done a long time ago. Clean up this damn state! As an upstanding white man in this community, one of God's purest, you should have been killing off these fags for a while now! Then you could've started on the blackies," Robert said as he pulled out a pair of gloves from his pocket.

"W-wh-what are you doing?" Matthew asked as he backed away from Robert who'd just pulled out Matthew's gun from the back of his waistband.

"You've always been soft, Mattie-boy. Can't have you running off to tell the F-B-I that I'm killing all these men. 'Sides, I saw the way you were looking at that bitch, Kara," Robert growled. Aiming the gun at his cousin, he grinned, a sadistic smile, "Damn cuz, if only you had joined in the fight, I wouldn't have to kill you right now."

"You don't have to Robbie," Matthew stammered out, tears forming in his eyes as he tried desperately to find a weapon or something to protect him. Before he could bring the wooden cutting board up to protect himself, however, Robert released the safety and shot Matthew in the head. Watching as his one and only cousin hit the ground, Robert released a small laugh.

"Well shoot cousin, you should have told me that sooner," he chuckled as he tossed the gun down near Matthew. Looking around, he found a piece of paper and composed a note to the FBI.

"This is totally off script for him. He didn't rape, beat, or cut the throat of Lt. Brody," Reid stated as he observed the body of the lieutenant.

"That's because he killed his cousin," Kara murmured, "the only thing worse than having sex with another man or a black woman is having sex with a relative," she said as she read the note left by Robert one more time:

_Dear FBI,_

_It's tragic that Lt Brody had to meet his maker so soon, but I'm afraid that he _

_was onto me. I have quite a few more men to take care of here in Brunswick before I_

_can leave, so if you care for this country that you serve, you'll let me clear this state _

_of all the fags that live here. I'll do my best to not make the areas too bloody. By the_

_way tell agents Kara and Derek Morgan that I said hi. It's been too long since we _

_last saw each other. Nice to know that Kara has found a WHITE man to be with. I'll_

_see her soon._

_Sincerely._

"He didn't even sign it," Prentiss said as she looked over Kara's shoulder.

"He knew that he didn't need to," Derek muttered, yanking off his gloves and turning away in anger and disgust.

"So he's going to try to finish killing those 12 men…" Rossi began.

"And then he's going to come after me," Kara whispered, causing the attention of everyone to swing to her.

"Over my dead body," Derek growled.

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Hotch said as he walked over to take the note away from Kara and bagged it as evidence, "I'm not going to lose you to some racist, closeted homosexual who has a problem with himself."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Hotch in shock. "What? It's what he is," he growled out, his anger matching Derek's as the two men looked at Kara in overprotective fury.

Scoffing at both men, Kara turned and walked away. She was too angry and too frustrated to deal with either one of them. "Hey there, are you okay?" JJ asked as she walked up behind Kara.

"Yeah…no…ah, JJ, I have no idea," Kara said as she turned to lean against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest, "my life has been an unending sea of drama. From the moment I was born, it's been nonstop. And Derek's been there with me through it all. I hate that I keep putting him through all of this, and now he's married. He shouldn't have to keep worrying about me."

"I'm sure he doesn't think of it that way," JJ debated.

"How could he not? He's been trying to protect me since I was born. He's probably sick of me by now," Kara pouted, tears in her eyes, "I'm sick of me. And now I've got babies to think about and there's Aaron and Jack…" giving herself a small shake, Kara stood upright. "Well, that's enough of that. I'm going to find this bastard, I'm going to take him out and I'm going to stop being such a girl about all of it."

JJ smiled at Kara and nodded her head in agreement. Kara patted JJ on the shoulder and walked back to the crime scene. JJ turned to see Derek standing in the doorway. She shrugged her shoulders at him.

"I had no idea that she felt that way," he explained, "I don't feel that way. She's family, I love her like a little sister, I don't have to protect her...I want to protect her…" he stopped when he realized that JJ was laughing.

"She knows that Derek, she just needs some time. She's been through a lot this last year, and she thinks that it's all her fault, and with her having just given birth to three babies, she's going to be a little emotional. Then with this latest UnSub. She needs to feel like the hero. Like she's not a jinx or a burden. She'll be okay," JJ stated, waving off Derek's statement.

"Gotcha JJ," Derek nodded then walked away.

Robert Brody paced back and forth in the bedroom of Joseph Williams. The man in question was sleeping soundly after having what he considered the most amazing sex of his life. Robert stared at Joseph in anger, walking towards him, he pulled out his blade and jerking back the head of the man, he slit his throat. His blood spraying Robert in the face. "You're so disgusting!" Robert yelled at the now deceased body, "You're a disgrace to this nation! To this world! To your race! What kind of a man do you think you are?! Sleeping with other men? Kissing them?" The words of Robert's father to him years ago came spewing forth from his lips as he angrily began pounding his fists into Joseph's face and body. Yanking off the covers, Robert grabbed the dead body of Joseph Williams and raped him, while he continued to brutally beat him up. Robert stopped abruptly when he heard the front door open.

"Joseph? Mi Corazon!! Donde estas?" came the voice from downstairs. Robert realized then that it was Joseph's significant other, Miguel Rodriguez. Joseph had suggested a threesome to which Robert had readily agreed. Rushing over to hide behind the door, he waited as he heard Miguel coming up the stairs.

"Joseph? Where are you Papi?" Miguel called out before coming to the doorway of the bedroom, finding the body of his lover, beaten and dead. "Joseph!" he screamed out as he ran forward. Robert grabbed him from behind and whispered in his ear, "Mijo…donde es fuego? Where is the fire?" before slicing the throat of the Hispanic male.

Kara was really starting to get pissed off at Robert. She wanted to know how he was still walking around…how he was still killing. She squatted and sifted through the hair of Miguel Rodriguez, knowing what she was going to find. After finding the swastika and the A.N. letters she stood in disgust, almost turning away and walking away, when her eyes fell on a piece of paper underneath one of the pillows on the bed.

"Hotch?!" she called out. Knowing that she had to keep it professional while they were working. Hotch came quickly into the room as she pulled out the slip of paper.

"We got the bastard," she grinned as she showed Hotch the paper that had Robert Brody's name and hotel name with room number. "With this much blood, he's going to have to go and get cleaned up, and judging from this paper, he's meeting these men at mixers and support parties. We've gotta go."

"Kara, we'll go, you stay here, help them finish processing the scene," Hotch said.

"Hotch, you can't bench me, just because you're afraid that he's going to come after me," Kara protested.

Hotch leaned close to Kara, "And I'm not going to put you anywhere near this psycho so that he can try to take you out. You are the mother of my children, the love of my life, my future wife, and a member of my team that this UnSub is targeting. You will stay here, do you understand?" he whispered furiously to her.

"Perfectly," Kara grounded out between clenched teeth, watching as Hotch and the rest of the BAU team left the crime scene. She growled in frustration at being benched because of Hotch's macho-ism and turned to punch the wall, another classic Morgan trait. Turning around as she grabbed her hand in pain, Kara's eyes fell on a cell phone beside the bed. Walking over she pushed "Send" to call the last number and heard, "Well hello Joseph, are you and Miguel on your way over now? The party's about to start," when the person on the other end answered.

"This is SSA Kara Morgan with the FBI. I need to know the address for this party right now," she said in a rush as she grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. Writing down the address she informed Michael Frank to not open the door for anyone. Hanging up the phone, she opened her phone and dialed Penelope.

"Hey sweetie! Are you bored yet? Derek told me that Hotch benched you," Penelope's voice was tinged with sympathy for her cousin-in-law.

Laughing, Kara answered, "I'm not the least bit bored. They're going to the wrong place. They're heading to Robert's hotel, but Robert's heading to a party. I have the address here, I need you to send me the directions and let the rest of the team know that I'm going that way." She recited the address to Penelope, thanking her when the directions were sent to her. Hanging up, Kara grabbed two other officers for backup and headed down to the waiting SUV.

Hotch pushed on the brakes quickly after hearing Derek's conversation with Penelope. "She went where?" he yelled, turning the car around and heading off towards the address given to them. "What the hell is wrong with you Morgans?" he asked angrily, briefly turning to Derek.

Derek only chuckled, "We're natural born heroes. When you bench us, we react," he explained.

Hotch only growled again as he pressed the gas pedal down to the floorboards, no further words needing to be spoken between the two men. Their admiration for Kara's fearlessness, their fear for her safety, and their anger over her insubordination, very evident to Prentiss, Reid, and Rossi who also sat in the SUV silent.

Kara walked slowly up to the house, her gut telling her that something was wrong. She could hear sounds of lovemaking from inside, but it sounded hesitant…almost forced. Looking through a window on the side of the house, Kara saw four men. Two, bound and gagged. Two others were having sex on the couch. One of which seemed frightened of his partner. As the second man finish, he punched the first man hard in the face calling him a fag, before leaning forward to kiss him. When he lifted his head, Kara recognized him instantly. It had been 18 years, but she knew that she'd never, ever forget his face. Gesturing with her hand to the other two officers, Kara crept back to the front of the house and kicked the door down, her gun poised and ready. She saw as Robert turned towards her, his shirt pulled up around his neck, and his pants down around his ankles. It was this impediment that cost him in the end, grabbing the gun that he'd placed on the back on the couch, he turned and wobbled, which allowed Kara enough time to pull the trigger, shooting Robert in his leg, causing him to drop the gun as he fell to the floor.

Michael Frank crawled off the couch and hid behind it, his modesty at his nakedness forgotten. Robert reached for the gun, attempting to get a shot off at Kara.

"I wouldn't try it Robert!" Kara yelled as she moved further into the room, her gun still aimed at Robert, acquiring his gun, her goal.

"Fuck you bitch! I should've killed your ass eighteen years ago!" Robert yelled as he grabbed the gun and raised it.

Kara shot the gun from his hand before he had the opportunity to shoot it at her and laughed harshly, "You didn't have the balls to kill me eighteen years ago," she said as she kicked the gun away, grabbing Robert's shoulder and flipping his naked body over. "You're too weak. It's why you only kill men, because you're too weak to try to kill a woman. Who's the bitch now?" she whispered in his ear as she handcuffed him, ignoring his bleeding hand and bleeding leg. Robert struggled against the handcuffs, attempting to free himself. Jerking him upright, Kara stood back as one of the officers came to pull up his pants, her gun still aimed at him.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the state. Do you understand your rights as I have told them to you?" Kara recited Robert's Miranda rights to him.

"Fuck you," was Robert's reply.

"Very eloquent," Kara responded, placing her gun back in the holster on her waistband. Turning to the doorway, Kara smiled when she saw the rest of the BAU team standing there watching her.

"What's up guys?" she asked as she turned to the two men who'd been bound and gagged and released them, accepting their hugs. Standing she found herself enveloped in a bear hug from Michael Frank.

"Oh!" she gasped out.

"Honey, you saved my life! You now have a best friend for eternity!" Michael exclaimed, his voice high pitched from fear and nervousness, "I mean, the sex was good, but it probably would've been better if he hadn't been a crazy psycho killer."

Kara laughed and patted Michael on the back, telling him to make sure that he gave the officer his statement. Walking over to Derek and Hotch, Kara smiled. "Sorry to steal your thunder guys, but the angels kind of dropped this into my lap," she said as she winked at Prentiss.

"I should suspend you," Hotch said furiously, then he sighed, "but I won't. You needed this." Sighing again, he looked at Derek, glad that he'd told him about Kara's insecurities while they were driving over. "Good job, agent Morgan."

Kara watched as Hotch turned and walked away. Looking at Derek, she grinned broadly and followed shortly afterwards. Derek merely shook his head at his cousin and followed, Reid, Rossi and Prentiss following in his wake.

The BAU team walked into the bullpen and sighed simultaneously. "It feels good to be home," Rossi groaned as he stretched.

Penelope rushed in and threw her arms around Derek, kissing him passionately. As the newly married couple separated, they both sighed, "Now, I'm home," Derek said smiling happily. The rest of the team laughed as they all sat down to finish their reports.

Moments later, Kara looked up when she felt a presence at her desk, smiling when she saw that it was Hotch. "Hey you," she whispered, putting her pen down on her desk.

"Hey," he whispered back, "You ready to go?"

Turning to look back at her desk, Kara made a quick decision, "I sure am." Turning off the lamp over her desk, she grabbed her purse and took Hotch's hand, before walking with him out of the BAU and down to his SUV.

The couple arrived home twenty minutes later, exhausted. Walking in the front door they were assaulted by the smell of lasagna and the sounds of laughter. Smiling they walked towards the laughter coming from the living room. There they saw Shawn and Kathryn dancing around to Michael Jackson's song "Thriller," attempting to do the "Thriller dance," much to the amusement of Jack and his siblings who were watching with wide eyes, laughing delightedly. Kara and Hotch stood watching for a minute, struggling to contain their mirth, before stepping forward to make their presence known.

"Daddy! Kawa!" Jack yelled in glee, jumping off the couch and racing towards them, his arms outspread as he hugged them.

Hotch and Kara hugged Jack, then Shawn and Kathryn, before turning to the triplets, who all kicked their legs and moved their hands in delight at seeing their parents. The two parents walked over and kissed each baby, breathing in their intoxicating baby scent, before they settled on the couch, Jack climbing up in Kara's lap.

"We made lasagna for dinner tonight," Shawn said smiling at his brother and his brother's fiancée.

"Shawn made lasagna, I cut the French bread," Kathryn said laughing.

"Thank you so much," Kara responded, cuddling Jack.

"Yes, Shawn, thank you for watching the kids, the house, and for making dinner," Hotch said, standing to pat his brother on the back, holding Liz in his arms. The little girl touching her father's face. Hotch turned to smile at the infant girl and nuzzled her neck, causing her to squeal and then giggle.

"Dinner's ready," Kathryn said coming out of the kitchen.

Setting Jack down on the floor, Kara picked up A.J. as Shawn picked up his niece Emie, with Hotch holding Liz; they followed Kathryn into the dining room. Sitting down, each adult fed a baby or in Kathryn's case, fed Jack, and then placing the trips into their high chairs and giving Jack some dessert, the adults then ate their dinner.

Kara and Hotch saw Shawn and Kathryn off at 6 the next morning, waving from the front door as the two climbed into the waiting taxi, their bags already in the trunk. They waved until the taxi pulled away and then they walked back into the house and locked the door. "Next time, we ask Penelope to watch them, or we fly in my parents, your brother and Kathryn deserve a vacation," Kara smiled, turning to Hotch, "and we're going to pay for it."

Hotch took Kara in his arms, "Oh we are, are we?" he whispered kissing her neck.

"Mmmhhmm, I'm thinking we can send them to Hawaii for like a week," Kara murmured, her head falling back to allow Hotch better access to her neck.

"Sounds like a good idea, we'll get them the tickets today," Hotch replied as his lips trailed down to Kara's collarbone.

"Aaron?" Kara moaned.

"Hmm?" Hotch responded as he pulled Kara's purple stretchy shirt down her arms.

"What are you doing?" Kara panted as Hotch kissed the area above her breasts before pulling her shirt all the way down her arms, and down to her waist.

"I would've thought that it was obvious by now," Hotch said chuckling as he unhooked Kara's bra and took it off of her.

"Right now?" Kara asked curiously.

"Yes, right here, right now," Hotch answered, backing Kara up to the dining room table and laying her down on top of it. "The kids are still asleep and I need you desperately." Hotch leaned up to kiss her lips before leaning over her and taking one of her breasts in his mouth. Kara moaned and leaned back as Hotch switched to her other breast. "You taste so good baby" Hotch murmured as he unbuttoned Kara's jean shorts and pulled them off, moving down her body, his words muffled by her skin. Looking up at Kara, where he now kneeled between her thighs, Hotch smiled, "Did I ever tell you that I love the fact that you don't wear panties?" he asked Kara, who had her hands in his hair.

Kara laughed in delight. "Yes, I believe you told me that the first night we were together," she said on a moan as Hotch kissed her in her most intimate spot.

"Well, it bears repeating," Hotch said chuckling.

No more words were said as the room was filled with moans, kisses, licks, sucking, and sounds of lovemaking. Two hours later, the couple lay on the dining room table, the tablecloth draped over them, Kara's head on Hotch's chest. She listened to his heartbeat, still amazed that it was in sync with her own.

"What are you thinking about down there?" Hotch asked, a smile on his face.

"Heartbeats," Kara answered honestly. She lifted her head and kissed Hotch's chin before sitting up on the table. "As much as I would love to continue to lay here in post coital bliss, Jack gets up around this time and he always walks downstairs, looking for waffles, eggs, bacon, and orange juice. The babies should be up soon also. And…" Kara said as she redressed, smiling when Hotch began to redress slowly after she began, "the team is coming over later…well, not everyone. Just Derek, Penelope, Prentiss and JJ," she explained as she walked into the kitchen, Hotch behind her, carrying the tablecloth in his arms. "The girls are coming over to help me with the wedding plans and Derek's coming over to help you with the kids," she continued, as she put her hair in a ponytail and then washed her hands before beginning breakfast preparations.

"Gotcha," Hotch nodded, "I'm going to go and stick this in the washing machine."

"Thanks hun," Kara said, her mind focused on cooking the meal.

Hotch shook his head, amazed that she had enough energy to cook after the workout he'd just given her on the dining room table. He laughed at that thought, he'd almost forgotten how much younger than him she was. He walked out of the laundry room and almost walked into Jack.

"Hi Daddy," the little boy said before hugging him and skipping off to the kitchen. Hotch heard Jack's excited chatter as he began talking to Kara as she cooked breakfast.

Hotch smiled and then went upstairs to get the trips, his mind trying to figure out a way to get all of them at the same time. He was spared from having to do so when he heard the doorbell and turned to see Derek and Penelope walk in. "Hey guys!" he shouted out a greeting.

"Hey Hotch," Derek said smiling.

"Hey boss man, where are my god babies?" Penelope inquired.

"Upstairs, I was just going to get them," Hotch said gesturing upstairs.

"We'll help," Derek volunteered, taking the stairs two at a time.

"I don't understand how he has that much energy right now. We're just making it out of bed; he kept me in there making love for hours," Penelope laughed, blushing red when she realized what she'd divulged, "sorry that was probably TMI, huh?"

Hotch laughed, "It's okay, I'm used to it from you Penelope. I totally understand where you're coming from though; I was just thinking the same thing about Kara. It must be another Morgan trait," he said as he and Penelope started up the stairs. He called down a greeting when he heard the doorbell and then heard Prentiss and JJ's voices and Henry's happy "Hi!" He continued up the stairs without stopping and walked into the nursery, pausing to take in the beauty of the room.

"This room is so beautiful," Penelope breathed.

"Kara did it," Derek and Hotch said simultaneously, both of them laughing.

On the walls of the nursery there was a beautiful mural. One wall there was a huge painting of the Chicago skyline, something Kara had painted to remember home, on the other wall there was a painting of a huge meadow with flowers, trees, deer and rabbits, on the other wall there was a painting of the entire BAU team with Kara's parents, Hotch's parents, Shawn, Kathryn, Derek's parents and sisters, and a painting of Gideon in the far corner of the wall looking over everyone, a slight smile on his face that she'd painted from a picture that she'd found in Hotch's things. On the last wall there was a huge tree painted on the wall beside the door, at the top there was written Hotch and Kara's names. Beside Hotch was a line with the word "Hayley-d. (RIP 2009-Always Loved)" written there and a line drawn down between the two of them where Jack's name was written. On each of the three lines drawn down underneath the broken line between Hotch and Kara was the name of one of the triplets.

"Why the broken line?" Penelope questioned as she stepped up to one of the three cherry wood changing tables to change Emerald.

Hotch laughed, "She says we're not married _yet_ so the line isn't complete yet," he explained as he stepped to another changing table to change A.J.

Derek stepped to the last changing table to change Liz as he laughed with Hotch and Penelope. His cousin was incredible and she stuck to her guns…another Morgan trait. He grinned at that thought. He turned when he heard Kara's voice in the doorway.

"And what's taking you three so long? We're all ready to eat down there," she said, grinning as Liz began to squirm trying to get to her mother, "Hey there angel face," she said using one of Penelope's signature pet names. She bumped Derek out of the way and swiftly finished changing the infant. "Amateur," she teased as Derek looked at her in awe.

"I bow in the face of your mastery," Derek said bowing to Kara, causing her and Liz to both giggle.

"C'mon silly people, let's go downstairs to eat," Kara said, holding Liz closely to her as she led the way out the nursery and down the stairs.

The other three followed, each of them talking to the babies as they made their way down to the dining room table.

_Racism is man's gravest threat to man-the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.-Abraham J Heschel_

_*A/N: I know this chapter was LONG! It would have been longer but I decided to cut it off here and then start immediately on the next chapter. My muse has kicked into overtime, maybe it's because I'm on this dreadful bed rest, but whatever it is, I am inspired to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it was graphic, not as graphic as it could've been though. I look forward to your responses and reviews._


	15. Perfect

**You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."-Theodor Seuss Geisel_

The room echoed with an "Amen" as Derek finished the prayer and then the only sounds that could be heard was the clanging of silverware against dishes and dishes being passed. For breakfast there was waffles, pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast, sausage, grits, grapefruit, strawberries, orange juice and apple juice for the kids and mimosas for the adults, of course the triplets had Gerber's baby food, but they enjoyed it nonetheless. Clean-up was a fun time for all. Kara put on the album from her favorite show "Glee" and as the songs played, the adults and Jack had an assembly line of clean-up going. The dishes were washed, dried and put away in no time at all and the women prepared to leave to go shopping and to meet with the wedding vendors and planner. Each woman went to each child and gave them a kiss and said "bye-bye." Then Derek took Penelope in his arms and kissed her deeply, the rest of the adults looked on as they kissed for a long time, each of them groaning in their throats. When they separated, everyone applauded. The newlyweds laughed and stepped apart, Penelope fixing her glasses before giving Derek one last peck on the lips and walking to the door. Kara kissed Jack and the triplets on their foreheads, punched Derek in his shoulder before giving him a hug goodbye, and then stepped in front of Hotch to say bye. She gasped as Hotch, yanked her into his arms and kissed her so deeply that he had to bend her over his arm. She moaned as she ran her fingers through his hair, forgetting that her friends, coworkers, and her cousin Derek were in the room. When Hotch lifted his head, his eyes were twinkling, Kara's hair was mussed and some kind of way her shirt was un-tucked from her jeans. Kara stood up straight, tucking her shirt back in her jeans and running her fingers through her hair. Smiling, she kissed Hotch on the lips, stepping back quickly before he could take her back into his arms and winked at him, before nodding at Derek who stood with his arms crossed. Turning around she waved "bye" over her shoulder before heading out the door with the girls, but not before hearing "Hotch, man, what the hell was that?" from Derek. The door closed and the women all stood looking at each other before they burst out laughing.

"You know what? This might be easier if I actually knew what color I wanted my wedding to be," Kara said as she flounced down into a chair in the food court at the mall. The other women laughed at Kara's frustration.

"Yeah, that might've helped," JJ said chuckling as she sat down.

Though she didn't know what her colors were going to be, it hadn't stopped her from shopping. Kara had bought things for the triplets, for Jack, for Hotch, for Derek and Penelope, and even though they'd protested, she'd bought things for Prentiss, JJ, Reid and Rossi. She'd told them that while Derek had taught her about making money, he'd also remembered to teach her about giving to others and how good it felt to give back.

"So, do you think you'll get involved with some of the community centers here?" Penelope asked, as she stuck a forkful of salad in her mouth.

Kara sighed, flashbacks of the consequences of her last involvement with community centers flashing through her mind.

"You can't let what happened in Chicago stop you from giving back and getting involved here," JJ said, reaching out to touch Kara's hand.

"You're right of course," Kara said smiling. Then a thought began to take root. "Hey, do you ladies want to give me a great wedding present?" she asked smiling.

"Of course," Prentiss answered.

"I've always wanted to start up a group home for at risk youth, Derek and I went to check out this commercial property, I bought it and I was going to rent it out, but I'm thinking that I'd like to use it and turn it into like a youth shelter. Would you guys like to help me with that?" Kara asked, her eyes shining with the idea.

The other women at the table sat and looked at Kara in amazement. She truly was an angel. They now understood why Derek tried so hard to protect her, why Arthur had obsessed about her, and why Hotch had fallen in love with her so easily and quickly.

"You're amazing," Prentiss breathed.

Kara laughed, "Nah…my dad just told me that I have my uncle's spirit and my mom's big heart," she explained as she looked around at the women at the table. "I realize that we won't have much time, I mean we'll pretty much have to get someone to do most of it, with our schedule, but, I figure when we have the time, we can help build, decorate, and then go over and volunteer," she supplied.

"I think I can speak for everyone when I say we'd love too," Penelope responded as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Awesome," Kara said, not realizing how much her selflessness was affecting the other women at the table. "I think I've figured out what my wedding colors are! Baby blue, red and white…although, should I even wear white? I mean, it's pretty obvious that I'm not a virgin, I mean, I've given birth to three children…" Kara chattered, as she picked up her bags and walked towards the bridal boutique, Penelope, JJ, and Prentiss right behind her, still in awe that she could just decide to turn her wedding gift into a gift for the children in the area without batting an eyelash.

"Hotch is so lucky," JJ whispered to the other women, who readily agreed as they followed Kara into the bridal boutique.

Three hours later, the women returned to Kara and Hotch's home their arms laden down with packages, bags, and wedding planning books. When they walked in the house, they paused for a minute.

"Does anybody else smell tiramisu?" Kara wondered.

"And Chicken Rigatoni," Prentiss added.

"I know that Derek didn't cook that," Penelope mused.

"Can Hotch cook?" JJ questioned.

"Not a chance," Kara laughed.

Looking at each other, the women laughed and said, "Catering." As they walked into the formal living room, they sat down their purchases and followed the smells into the dining room. The large dining room table that seats 12 was set with the china set that Kara's parents had given her and food sat in the middle of the table. Smiling at the spread, the women turned to the kitchen, when they heard the men's laughter. Derek and Hotch pushed the triplets into the dining room in their high chairs, Jack and Henry came in each of them holding two dozen bouquets of roses, one of which went to each woman, and following them came Reid, Elle, Will and Rossi.

"We thought that in honor of you _finally_ starting to plan our wedding, that we'd have a big family dinner," Hotch said as he smiled at Kara.

"That is so sweet honey. Thank you," Kara said sweetly as she kissed Hotch lovingly.

"It's no problem sweetheart. Besides, from what I was told by Penelope, you're the one playing angel," Hotch replied, wrapping his arms around Kara's waist as everyone else sat down.

"Ah, it was nothing. Just always a dream of mine," Kara said shrugging.

"And that's why you're so amazing," Hotch said as he kissed her again.

"Nice to see you Elle," JJ said smiling as she saw the way Reid pulled out Elle's chair for her.

"I was already with Reid. I flew down yesterday when you guys got back. So when Hotch and Morgan called, I came over with him," Elle explained, blushing slightly. Reid just offered JJ a big grin.

The adults sat down and after offering up a prayer of thanks, they began to eat. Discussions of the upcoming wedding, how gorgeous the triplets were, and teasing of Derek and Penelope asking them when they were going to have their own children, flowed around the table. It was a great time. A wonderful time and for the first time in a long time, no one talked or thought about profiles, UnSubs, or crimes. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

_"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up."-Mark Twain_

_*A/N: I know that this is a little shorter than my other chapters, but I wanted to finish my thought and give the BAU a happy ending before any more hell exploded in their lives. And you know it will! Kara and Hotch are set to get married, but in true form, there's going to be another case to come up and this one may just put the wedding on hold indefinitely. Also, the group home for at-risk youth is actually a dream of mine, I figured that I'd "loan" it to Kara, since she seemed as if she'd be compassionate and caring like that. I look forward to your reviews!*_


	16. There's Something About Kara

***A/N: So I had every intention of putting Kara and Hotch through some more pain before they got married, but my best friend asked me to let them be happy first. SO! I'm going to take it easy on them…but there will still be drama, just like, normal, everyday, happy drama. LOL. You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_"The world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming it."-Helen Keller_

Kara flopped down on Hotch with an exhale of intense physical gratification. Feeling his chest move on a chuckle, she lifted her head to look down at him. "And what is so funny Mr. Agent Man?" she queried, her left eyebrow lifting in curiosity.

"For you to be so much younger than me, how is it that I now have that Morgan energy that you all are known for post-coital?" Hotch asked, smiling up at her.

"Well…let's see…I had my final fitting for my wedding gown today, last minute wedding details, the triplets and Jack, I had to go to work at the BAU, I had to make dinner, clean, AND then I came and satisfied you…so um…I think I'm entitled to a little exhaustion," Kara laughed, rolling off Hotch.

"Is that all?" Hotch teased, "are you sure that's all that it is?"

"Yeah, I think so, why?" Kara asked, rising from the bed and pulling on her yellow silk robe.

"Baby, the twins are five months old now…" Hotch began.

Sitting down at her vanity table, Kara began to brush out her newly dyed hair. _Medium brown with light brown and blonde streaks? _she thought, _Penelope is a genius!_ Looking at Hotch in the mirror she responded to his statement, "Um…yeah? So, what's your point?"

Shaking his head in amazement that she still hadn't caught on, Hotch rose from the bed and pulled on his silk blue robe. Kara had insisted on buying him some "romance book hero" type outfits, he didn't mind the silk robes or the silk boxers, but the chaps? He had a feeling that Penelope had put her up to it. Walking over to Kara, he put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to look her in her eyes in the mirror, "The doctor said you would probably go a month or two without having your monthly, remember? It's been five months baby, we've made love every night, you haven't had your period yet." Hotch laughed as Kara's eyes grew large with his statement, "You didn't even think about it?"

"No," Kara whispered, "I've been so busy with work, the kids, the wedding, helping Pen paint and decorate her and Derek's place…I just…I-I…but I haven't been sick at all!" Kara stated with frustration.

"Yes you were, about two months ago, you were sick for a week, you thought you just had food poisoning or something, because Liz was sick too right after having eaten some of your minestrone soup, remember? And your breasts have been sensitive, you've been tired a lot more lately, and last night when everyone came over for dinner and wedding business you ate lasagna with chocolate ice cream on top of it. We all looked at you weird, but you just kept going like it wasn't anything. I knew then that it hadn't dawned on you," Hotch explained, watching as Kara's hand flew up to cover her mouth at the realization.

"Oh my god," she whispered, "oh my god!! I can't be pregnant right now! I've got 5-month old triplets! Then there's Jack…baby, we've already got FOUR children!! And what if I'm pregnant with triplets again?" Kara covered her face in shock.

"Then we'll have seven kids," Hotch stated matter-of-factly.

"Okay, I gotta go get a pregnancy test," Kara said, pushing back her chair agitatedly and standing up.

"I already got you three, from what I understand, that's how many you took last time?" Hotch said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Kara struggled not to smile at his obvious excitement, "I bet you're really enjoying this huh? If I am pregnant again, YOU'RE delivering them!" she said, poking him in the chest.

"You got it honey," Hotch laughed, bending down to kiss Kara on her forehead, "the tests are underneath the sink. I'm going to go and take care of the kids." Kissing Kara on her lips, Hotch turned to leave the room.

"Dammit," Kara muttered as she walked to the bathroom.

The BAU team watched as Kara and Hotch walked in. Something was up, they could tell. Whereas Hotch wore a big grin on his face, Kara's face showed nothing but annoyance. Derek looked back and forth between the two before he burst out laughing. "You're pregnant aren't you?!" he chuckled.

"What?" Prentiss exclaimed.

"Ah, shut up Derek," Kara muttered as she sat down at the conference table.

"Aaww cuz, c'mon, this is a happy occasion," Derek struggled to say between laughing.

"You go through labor pains and then tell me this is a happy occasion," Kara said, narrowing her eyes at Derek.

"She'll be okay, she just needs a little time to get used to the idea," Hotch explained as he sat down.

"Well you seem very well adjusted to the idea," Rossi noted.

"Well, to my benefit, I knew before she did. She's been so busy, she hasn't even noticed, but me being the ever observant profiler, I noticed right away," Hotch commented smiling broadly.

"Was that before or after I pointed it out to you Boss Man?" Penelope asked as she followed JJ into the conference room, carrying the files.

"Definitely after," Hotch laughed.

"Ugh, can we please stop talking about my soon to be imploded pregnancy body and talk about this new case?" Kara asked rolling her eyes at the group.

"Of course, let's get to work people, what do you have for us JJ?" Hotch questioned, noticing Kara's unease at the conversation.

"A case in Ft. Worth, Texas. Four people brutally murdered on their front porches, in broad daylight," JJ began the presentation, "Karla Dorinda was the latest victim. She was stabbed in the stomach four times and then shot in the head."

"Broad daylight? Our UnSub is bold," Prentiss stated, her eyes trained on the images on the screen.

"Suggests an aggressive type of personality. The UnSub is mocking the local authorities by committing these murders in the daylight and by leaving the bodies on the front porch suggests that the UnSub wants to be caught," Reid stated as he opened the file that was placed before him.

"Maybe not," Kara mused. When everyone turned to her she continued, "I think it's more of a message to the authorities, to the neighborhood and the people there. It's like the UnSub is saying, look at what you allowed to happen, look at what I can do, right in front of you, right under your noses."

"You're right Kara," JJ said as she pressed a button on the remote to advance the presentation to the next screen, "The local police station received a DVD from the UnSub after the last murder."

As the team watched, the screen filled up with an image of bare feet. "Everyday, people are killed in this nation, and everyday, you, the police have allowed this to happen. I have killed four of your upstanding citizens, who while upstanding, have all witnessed an injustice or a crime and did nothing. You also have witnessed a crime and yet you do nothing. I am still here, unfounded, unpunished. Why? Any others that die, do so at your expense. Catch me if you can," the voice, distorted and unrecognizable finished on a sadistic chuckle before the screen went black.

There was silence in the room before Derek, who always felt deeply said, "I want this bastard caught."

Nodding his head, Hotch agreed, "Wheels up in 30. Penelope, you're going along on this one," he stood and left the room, the rest of the team rising slowly and following.

"Hey Pen?" Kara murmured, her voice pensive as she stood in the doorway.

"Yeah?" Penelope responded as she scooped together all of the files and prepared to walk out.

"Let me know when you're going to start working on that video, I'd like to help if I can," Kara said as she walked with Penelope down to the bullpen.

"You're volunteering?" Penelope was shocked.

"Yeah, it's something about this case," Kara shrugged, "Or maybe it's because I know that Aaron is going to try to stick me on light duty anyway. Just thought I'd go peacefully this time," she shrugged again in a self-deprecating manner.

Penelope laughed and nodded, "Yeah, sure," she said before walking away to go and grab her bag.

Kara walked towards her desk and stopped when she noticed the note propped up on her keyboard. Taking it off the keyboard, Kara opened the note to read.

_I never asked you if you were happy about being pregnant by me again so soon. I assumed from my own joy, that yours would match. For that I apologize. If it's any consolation, you're stunningly beautiful when you're pregnant, so much so that it hurts to look at you. I love you.-Aaron._

The team relaxed on the jet as they flew to Ft. Worth. Each going over the notes of the case in their own way. Penelope pulled open her laptop and put in the DVD, turning around, she caught Kara's eye and gestured her over. Lifting Hotch's hand from where it rested on her stomach, Kara smiled at him and stood to walk towards Penelope.

"What's up Pen?" Kara asked as she pulled Derek up from the seat next to Pen by the collar of his shirt. Smiling at him, she took his seat and handed him his files before turning her attention to Penelope.

"I'm going to go over this DVD again. Try to see if there's anything that I can pick out," Penelope said.

"The entire recording was of his feet though," Kara said, her brows lowering in confusion.

"That's true, but there can be certain tell-tell things that maybe we didn't notice the first time. The floor may have a certain type of carpet on it, he may have a tattoo, or he may use a certain type of language that's indicative of a certain group, place, or community," Penelope explained as she pushed play on the laptop.

"I see," Kara whispered as she turned her attention to the screen. The two women watched the DVD over and over again for the rest of the flight, taking notes of the little things that they noticed about the speech, the carpet, the chair, the pants the UnSub was wearing, and even the small amount of the wall that appeared behind the chair. When the jet finally landed in Ft. Worth, they had a definite foundation for profiling their UnSub.

"So what are you trying to say?" Hotch asked as Kara walked hurriedly behind him.

"I'm saying that from the DVD that Pen and I studied, the UnSub is a prominent member of society," Kara huffed out as she followed Hotch into the room set aside for the BAU.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Hotch asked as he set down the folders he was carrying on the tabletop.

"The baseboard behind the chair, it had a gold trim on it. The chair was an antique Elizabethan chair from the carvings, the UnSub's pants are tailored, almost like the ones I bought you from Saks Fifth when we went to New York to visit Shawn. And then," Kara exclaimed as she pulled out one of the stills that she'd had Penelope print out, " there's his toes…"

"His toes?" Prentiss questioned walking over to where Kara and Hotch stood at the head of the table.

"Yes, his toes. He's got a French pedicure," Kara stated, looking up at Prentiss.

"Wow," Prentiss breathed.

"So? I get pedicures," Derek shrugged off from where he stood on the other side of the room, ignoring the shocked glances that were thrown his way.

"Duh, I know that. You've been getting them since you did that one photo shoot for Chi U," Kara said, waving her hand in a nonchalant manner, "But you get regular pedicures. This UnSub gets French pedicures, which means that he's paying extra money to get that little bit of extra work done."

"What is the difference between a French pedicure as opposed to a regular one?" Reid asked, intrigued that there was some sort of information and knowledge to be gained that he knew nothing about.

"Derek, can you take off your shoes?" Kara asked gesturing towards Derek's foot.

"Absolutely not," Derek denied, crossing his arms.

"Oh, please, you used to put them on my face when we were kids, I need it to show the difference. It's for the case, Derek, put aside your macho male ego for a second," Kara reprimanded. Derek sighed in frustration and then removed his black boot and sock from his left foot, before sticking his foot up on the table. The rest of the team looked at his feet in fascination.

"Photo shoot?" Penelope questioned looking at Derek questioningly.

"It…well…see…" Derek began.

"Calm down Pen, he did it to help me fix my car after I crashed it," Kara explained as she bent over to take off her black boot and sock from her right foot, and stuck hers up on the table. When she looked up, everyone was looking at her.

"What?! I told you Derek and I are really close. I was riding in the car with my boyfriend at the time, we got into an argument, he hit me, I swerved and ran into a pole. I knew my parents would freak out for a number of reasons, so I called Derek up at the Academy, he got in touch with a buddy of his, agreed to do the shoot and then paid to get my car fixed. Then he beat the shit out of Max," Kara huffed out, "Now, look at Derek's nails, they're shaped, clean, you can tell that the cuticles have been treated right?" Waiting until she heard an affirmative, she continued, "Now look at mine. I've got a French pedicure. My nails are shaped, clean, the cuticles have been treated, but the base of the nail is pink and the tip is white. Aaron paid an extra twenty bucks just for that alone. In this recession, that's a lot of money, and not only did our UnSub have the French pedicure, Penelope noticed that it seemed as if the gold trim followed on the hem of his pants and on his nails. Our UnSub is of the upper crest," Kara finished putting her foot back on the ground and redressing it as did Derek.

"So what would be his purpose for killing?" Derek asked.

"I believe that our UnSub is probably someone who was brutally attacked and survived it. There were probably witnesses to the attack, but no one came forward. The police were slow to respond, react, or maybe justice wasn't served, he's got a grudge against the justice system," Rossi explained.

"I don't think our UnSub is a man at all," JJ said looking at the still photo that Kara had held recently.

"Why do you say that JJ?" Hotch asked, his eyebrow raised in a manner like Kara's usually was, a clear sign that the two had been together for quite some time.

"Look at this picture, look at the ankles," JJ pointed out. As the team studied it, they realized that the ankles were definitely slimmer and more feminine.

"Our UnSub is a woman," Rossi stated.

Six more victims, and four days later, Sylvia Rodanthe, 38, was finally arrested by the BAU team. She was brought into an interrogation room where she immediately asked for her lawyer. When her lawyer showed up, Kara walked into the room.

"Mrs. Rodanthe, I'm Agent Kara Morgan. I'd like to ask you some questions, if I may?" Kara began.

"Sure, darling, ask me whatever you want," Sylvia responded.

"Why did you choose these particular people to kill?" Kara began.

"They all witnessed a crime and didn't report it, or didn't testify," Sylvia answered, waving off her lawyer's attempts to get her to remain quiet.

"Was it your attack?" Kara asked silently.

Sylvia's gaze focused on Kara, "What do you know of my attack, girl?" she asked her voice hard.

"I know that you reported that you were violently attacked and raped at a garden party and that there were at least 20 people who stood around and watched it happen, and that none of them tried to stop it from happening. I also know that 10 of those 20 people are dead now," Kara said as she placed the photos of the victims on the table, "I also know that you killed them."

"Well, you know a lot of logistics, but you don't know what I went through," Sylvia said, crossing her arms and turning her face away from Kara.

"When I was 10 years old, my cousin Derek and I were attacked by a racist group, they beat us both up so bad that we both had to be hospitalized, they also engraved the initials, A.N. in my ankle to represent the Aryan Nation. I know that when I was 16, my boyfriend used to beat me up regularly, but never where anyone would notice. I know that just four years ago, I was raped when I walked into my old apartment, and that I was a cop at the time. I have some idea of what you went through, and while I'm furious at the ones who attacked me, I have not sought revenge against them or the ones who knew about it and did nothing," Kara confessed, knowing that everyone, including Derek, was standing on the other side of the glass in shock. It was the one thing that she hadn't shared with anyone, including Derek. Her rape had been personal and traumatic, and while the man who'd raped her, a fellow cop, had been arrested for the attack, she'd never told anyone.

Sylvia's eyes widened and her head swung in her direction, "Well, I guess you're stronger than me, because after the attack, my husband wouldn't touch me, my kids left to stay with their father, my first husband, and everyone just looks at me with that sad look in their eyes. It kills me to know that he got away with it, and it's even worse when you know that people could have helped, but they didn't," Sylvia stated.

Kara nodded and stood up to leave, "Just remember this Mrs. Rodanthe. You committed a crime as well, and while your life was affected and yes, even devastated by your rape, you survived it. You and your family can grow and move past it. But you killed these people. You took their lives from them. You have destroyed the lives of their families, forever, all because they were either too coward or too selfish to speak out. You have to live with that for the rest of your life."

The flight back to Quantico was made in complete silence. No one spoke. It was the quietest that it had ever been before. Kara knew it was because of what she'd revealed, so she was grateful for the silence, at the same time she longed for the normalcy of the team. Looking at Derek she realized that he'd been looking at her, and as she looked into his eyes, she saw his eyes fill with tears, before he stood and made his way to the bathroom. Turning to Hotch, Kara saw that he was looking at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. Turning her head her eyes collided with Prentiss's gaze. She exhaled at the slight smile that Prentiss gave her and then closing her eyes she drifted off to sleep.

Derek clutched the sink in the jet's bathroom in a death grip. He felt like he was going crazy. He paced back and forth within the small space and tried to breathe through the rage and agony racing through them. He couldn't believe that Kara had been raped and that she hadn't told him. Derek looked at himself in the mirror and was slightly startled by the look on his face. His eyes looked wild and his face has a slight red tinge to it. As he continued to stare at himself, he thought back to a time four years ago when he'd thought that something had happened to Kara…

**Flashback**

Derek walked into his home and put down his ready bag. This last case had been extremely difficult for him. A man who sought out families that were in therapy and took the father's place for a few days before killing them. They were calling him "The Fox." Derek sighed as he walked into his kitchen and pulled out a beer. He walked into his living room and picked up his cordless phone, typing in the numbers that he knew by heart. As the phone rang he waited impatiently to talk to one of the most important women in his life.

"Yeah?" he heard Kara answer. Derek's eyebrows raised in surprise, he fully expected to hear Kara's signature "Go for Kara" greeting.

"Hey Apple Head," Derek responded.

"Hi Derek," Kara said, her voice sounding almost dead.

"Are you okay?" Derek questioned, sitting up straight on his couch.

"Yeah, just…um…really busy. What's up?" Kara replied.

"Nothing…I just needed to talk."

"Well…" Kara sighed, "I'm here for you, D."

**End of Flashback**

She had answered the phone a lot differently and had spoken to him with none of her usual enthusiasm. It should have been his first clue. For him to be a profiler he should've known that she was depressed. Bowing his head, he growled in frustration, hot, angry tears streaming down his face. She went through it all alone. He hadn't been able to protect her. He felt like a failure. Turning at the knock on the door, he opened the door, fully expecting to see his wife on the other side, he was shocked when he saw Kara. She looked down nervously, then licking her lips she looked back up at him.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you Derek," she started, gasping as she began to cry, "I felt so ashamed, I just-I didn't know how to handle it. I didn't want anyone to look at me differently. I know how people look at and treat women who have been raped, I didn't want to be one of them. I was scared, I was devastated, I felt filthy and used. I wanted to tell you, I really did, I just didn't know how to, and then it was easier to just forget it happened. I'm so sorry," she finished, wiping away the tears on her face as more flowed down her cheeks.

Derek looked at Kara and saw the little cousin who'd cried on his shoulder when she'd crashed her car and she revealed to him that her boyfriend had been beating her up. She'd always felt like a screw-up. Even though everyone around her knew differently. He smiled gently at her and wiped away her tears. A strange peace settled over him and he gathered her close in his arms.

"Hey now, stop crying Apple Head. You're pregnant, remember? Your baby needs you to keep all of your fluids. You can't spare a drop," he teased her, grinning widely at her small chuckle, "You don't need to apologize to me. I'm sorry that I made you feel as if you couldn't come tell me. I'm sorry that you've had to deal with this all by yourself for four years," he stated as he saw Hotch come up behind Kara. "And I'm really sorry that you're so ugly when you cry," he laughed as he saw her mouth open in shock, before she slapped him on the shoulder and laughed.

"That's the only time Morgans are ugly, is when they cry," she recited the old family joke. Hugging Derek fiercely, she turned to see Hotch standing behind her. Derek squeezed past the pair, who were now hugging as Kara shared the pain with Hotch, and went back to his wife who was dozing softly on the couch. Lifting up her head, he placed it in his lap and getting comfortable, he closed his eyes and slept.

_"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."-Mark Twain_

_*A/N: See? Not too bad. Kara has really gone through a lot. The next chapter is going to be the wedding chapter, so be prepared for things to go quickly and for it to be sappy, romantic, and passionate. Don't worry Kara won't be pregnant with triplets again, I promise. I don't think my muse is taking me that way. Sorry for the delay with the update, I thought I'd be able to write since I was sick, but apparently, when you're sick and on bed rest, all your body wants to do is rest. Weird huh?_

_I look forward to your reviews! Keep 'em coming!_


	17. Uncle Troy & Past Memories

_*A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!_

_*CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.*_

"_**A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."-Mignon McLaughlin**_

**Derek opened his eyes to a foreign sound coming from the bathroom. Sitting up in bed he looked around for his wife. Not finding her in bed or in the bedroom, he arose from the bed in all of his naked glory, his muscles rippling as he walked, and walked towards the bathroom.**

"**Pen?" he called out as he approached the bathroom.**

"**Go away Derek," Penelope called out from within the bathroom before succumbing to the illness and throwing up again.**

"**Are you okay?" Derek asked as he ignored her statement and walked into the bathroom.**

"**Do I sound like I'm okay?" Penelope asked as she leaned back against the side of the bathtub.**

**Chuckling softly, Derek answered, "No, you don't actually," he hesitated before he said what was niggling at the back of his mind, "This is the third day in a row that you've been sick…do you think, I mean…is it morning sickness?"**

**Penelope's eyes closed and she sighed in defeat, nodding her head she pointed at the trashcan that sat on the floor next to the bathroom sink. Bending low, Derek picked up the trashcan and saw the pregnancy test sitting on top, taking it out slowly, refusing to allow himself to get too hopeful and looked at it. Seeing that it stated plainly "Pregnant," Derek let out a whoop of joy and pumped his fist in the air.**

"**Hell yeah!" he yelled. Then marching over to Penelope he picked her up, and ignoring her protests he carried her back into the bedroom.**

"**Derek? What the hell are you doing?!" Penelope laughed, relieved at his joy over the announcement.**

"**I am carrying to our bed and I'm going to show you how happy I am that you are carrying my child. How happy you have made me, this is the greatest gift that you could've ever given me, Mrs. Morgan, and I'm going to prove it to you," Derek explained as he gently laid Penelope down on the bed.**

"**But we said we were going to wait," Penelope playfully pouted.**

"**And we did. We waited a long, long time…compared to Hotch and Kara, we're way behind. Besides, I wouldn't trade this baby for anything in the world. This baby is going to have my skills on the field and your sexiness. This is going to be a super baby," Derek stated laughing.**

"**A super baby, huh?" Penelope grinned running her fingers over Derek's bald head and down his back, her stomach doing flip flops when he shivered.**

"**Oh yeah," Derek murmured as he began to kiss Penelope's neck and made his way down over her collarbone and to her breasts.**

"**I don't really need much persuading, Derek," Penelope moaned as Derek took one of her nipples in his mouth, "I'm pretty much ready to go."**

**Derek chuckled as he moved to her other nipple, "Really?" he asked as he bit softly on the nipple before blowing it and sucking it back into his mouth.**

"**MMmmm…oh yeah. Really," Penelope groaned before panting with want of him.**

"**Next time, I seduce you, but I want you too much to wait right now," Derek groaned as he prepared Penelope for him, "I'm going to be so deep inside of you that I'm going to implant another baby in you," he teased as Penelope's body arched backwards in pleasure.**

**Penelope gasped on a laugh, which was replaced by a moan, then a gasp as Derek began to move inside of her. No other words were necessary, no other thoughts formed as the newly expectant parents made love to each other, but no words or thoughts were needed, they were completely in sync, happy, and in love.**

"**You're what?!" Kara screamed into the phone, causing Hotch to jump in shock where he stood behind her attempting to roll her hair. "O. M. G.!!! Pen!!! Congratulations!!! Oh my gosh! We're going to be pregnancy buddies!! AAAaaahhh!!! I'm SO excited!" Kara looked at Hotch in the mirror, her eyes shining with excitement. "Okay, I'll let you finish calling everyone, I'll see you tonight at the rehearsal dinner. I know, neither of us can drink, how much does that suck?!" she laughed at Penelope's reply and watched as Hotch attempted to roll another piece of her hair, knowing that she'd be resetting her curls, but touched at his desire to help. "I've gotta run P, I'll talk to you later…Love you too! Tell Derek congratulations from me, Aaron, and the kids okay? Okay, bye," Kara concluded the call, hanging up the phone, her eyes twinkling from excitement and amusement as she met Hotch's gaze in the mirror's reflection. "Did you hear?" she asked him.**

"**Yeah, I could deduce from your side of the conversation that Penelope and Derek just found out that they're going to be having a baby?" Hotch responded, smiling at Kara.**

"**Yes! Isn't that exciting?! I am so happy for them! I can't wait to see how Derek's going to act when Pen goes into labor! It's his first baby you know," Kara chattered happily as she swiftly undid the rollers that Hotch had done and reset her hair properly. Turning around at the end of her excited monologue, her hair completely encased in pink rollers, Kara's voice died off as she saw the look on Hotch's face.**

"**Aaron, no," she shook her head as she stood slowly and tried to slide around him.**

"**Why not?" he asked her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, "your parents are here, your aunt and cousins are here, Steven and Kathryn are here. We have a house full of people to watch the kids, so there's no worry there. So why not? We did it this morning…and it was great, I'm sure if we did it now, it would be amazing," he persuaded her seductively, playing into her common sense and her sense of pride.**

"**Aaron, c'mon…" Kara protested weakly, eventually giving in, laughing when her rollers began to fall out one by one because of Hotch's hands running through her hair. As the two fell gently into bed, Kara could only hope that no one came looking for them.**

"**I can remember when Kara was about 10 years old and Derek had just left for college. She stood with me, mom, and Desiree and she was probably crying harder than all of us. She turned to me and she goes: Sarah, I'm gonna be single for the rest of my life and never love nobody, so that way no one will ever leave me and hurt me!" Sarah, Derek's sister and Kara's cousin, reminisced at the rehearsal dinner that night, "I didn't know what to say to her, I just held her and let her cry. Later that evening, Derek called to say he was enjoying his room and everything and he got on the phone with Kara. I don't know what was said, all I know is that when she got off the phone she sat down and started planning her wedding." Sarah waited as the room erupted with laughter, smiling fondly at Kara who had her head bowed in embarrassment, "I'm glad that she changed her mind, I've never seen her so happy, and I'm glad she grew up and re-planned her wedding, I don't know how we'd all feel about our bridesmaid's dresses looking like fairy dresses. Congratulations Aaron and Kara! And Aaron, I'm sure I don't have to tell you to take care of Kara," Sarah said, her voice dropping in a mock threatening tone, "We Morgans are gorgeous but loyal and lethal." The room exploded with laughter at this and Sarah came over to hug both Hotch and Kara.**

**The rehearsal dinner was going wonderfully. Everyone was having a great time and Derek and Penelope had decided to only tell Derek's mother and sisters about Penelope's pregnancy so as to not steal the moment away from Kara and Hotch. Kara looked around the room and smiled. Everyone that she and Hotch knew and cared about was there, even Jason Gideon, who had left the BAU years before, had shown up to the wedding of his closest **_**coworker**_** Aaron Hotchner. Kara was grateful that he'd come, she hadn't told Hotch that she'd invited him, but with Penelope's help, she'd tracked him down and given him a stern talking to and he'd agreed to come. She sighed happily, things were starting to look up. She'd been drama free for the last two and a half months and with Christmas coming up right around the corner, she couldn't have been happier if she'd tried. Kara watched as Derek stood up and made his way to the podium and the microphone. She turned to Hotch and smiled, leaning forward to kiss him when she saw his head dip towards her. As they separated, they turned their full attention to Derek.**

"**It was no secret when we were growing up that Kara idolized me," Derek began laughing when Kara groaned aloud and his sisters booed from their seats, "It's true, it's true. Next to her father and mine, whom she only knew for a short period of time, I was Kara's hero, her prince, her favorite man. So, it came as no shock to my family when I did not approve of her involvement with Hotch at first," Derek nodded his head at the chuckles heard around the room, "I am overprotective of my Apple Head, this is no surprise, and while I think that Hotch is a great guy, I didn't know if he was right for my baby cousin. However, I saw the way he looked at her, the way she looked at him, and I saw the way that she seemed to radiate joy and love whenever he was around…it reminded me of the way I felt whenever I look at my wife, Penelope," Derek paused as all the women in the room "aawwed" at his words, "so it took some doing on my part and yes, a stern talking to from Kara, but I came to accept and even encourage their relationship." Turning to Hotch and Kara, Derek became choked up and slow tears of emotions began to stream down his face, "Hotch, my cousin is one of the strongest women in the world. I don't know how many women could go through what she's gone through and still see the good and the beauty in the world. She deserves every happiness and all of the greatest things that this life has to offer her. I see how much you love her every time her name is mentioned, or she walks into a room and it makes me smile. She may be independent, but I want you to take good care of her. She is very special to a lot of people, and I and my family are entrusting you with something very precious to us, our very own angel, so don't ever take that for granted." Sniffing, Derek turned his gaze to Kara, whose wet eyes and cheeks matched his own, "Apple Head, this is really hard for me," turning he gestured to Kara's parents, "and your parents. We are going to be asked to give you to Hotch and even though he loves you, it's hard to know that now you have another family. It's especially hard for me to know that you have another prince, another favorite man in your life. I am so proud of you, I am so happy for you, but I'm torn. I want you to be happy, but I want you to stay my little baby cousin, forever. Be happy, love, grow, give me a ton of god babies, and most of all, don't ever change," Derek finished, his face slightly red from emotion, "I love you Apple Head, congratulations." Derek came over to shake hands with Hotch and then the room watched as Kara threw her arms around Derek and hugged him tightly, she said something to him that made him smile and kissing her on her forehead, he returned to his seat next to his wife Penelope.**

**Penelope leaned over and whispered, "What did she say?"**

"**She told me that no matter what happened, that I would always be her hero, her prince, and her favorite man," Derek whispered back, his smile growing on his face.**

**Penelope chuckled and nodded, "That was really sweet of her," she said then laughed as she saw Derek's grin grow even bigger than before.**

**The rehearsal dinner was over and the soon-to-be married couple was saying goodbye to everyone, their wedding being two days away. Kara turned to Hotch as they waved goodbye to the last person and hold A.J. in her arms, she followed him and Jack as they pushed Liz and Emie in the stroller to the car.**

"**Do you think we should've waited and had our bachelor and bachelorette parties on the same night as our rehearsal dinner?" Kara questioned as they buckled in the trips and Jack in their seats.**

"**No, I think you were right at separating them. I mean with you and Penelope being pregnant, I don't think you could've handled too much tonight," Hotch teased as he climbed into the car. Kara rolled her eyes and climbed into the passenger seat.**

"**Whatever, funny man," she chuckled even as she yawned.**

"**I love your family," Hotch said some moments later.**

"**Oh yeah, they're a hoot and a half," Kara laughed as she remembered her father and her uncles, her mother's brothers, along with Derek, trapping and confronting Hotch in one of the corners of the room and no doubt giving him a threatening promise.**

"**No, seriously, they're great," Hotch said as he looked over at her briefly, before returning his gaze to the road.**

"**Yeah, I know," Kara said smiling, "It was great growing up. Once I was identified as a Morgan I was either admired, loved, feared, or hated almost immediately."**

"**Mostly loved though, right?" Hotch guessed.**

"**Nah…I was admired and hated most of the time," Kara stated, her tone bearing a hint of cynicism, "Admired because of my intelligence, my talents, my looks, my family connections. Hated for the same reasons."**

**They had pulled up to their house by now and Hotch pulled in behind Kara's Aunt Fran's car. They unbuckled their seatbelts and climbed out of the car. The front door opened and Sarah, Desiree, and Kara's mother Mary all poured out of the house, Penelope on their heels, pushing Kara and Hotch out of the way, they each claimed a child and chattering happily without saying a word to the couple, they took them in the house. Kara and Hotch stood in the driveway, the doors to the SUV still open as they looked at each other. They simultaneously burst into laughter and closed the doors and walked inside.**

**Inside their home, everyone was sitting in the living room, laughing and talking as they took turns playing "American Idol" on XBOX 360. Kara walked over and sat down next to her father, putting her head on his shoulder, knowing that he missed his "little princess" doing that. She smiled when he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.**

"**I miss you, little one," her father whispered to her, wanting this conversation to be a private one.**

"**I know. I miss you too Daddy," Kara whispered back, her throat closing with tears.**

"**You know, your mother and I were thinking about moving a little closer," her father said, his voice hesitant.**

**Kara's head lifted slowly and she stared at her father in wonder, "Really?!" At her father's nod, she threw her arms around him happily. "That would be perfect! That's the best wedding present ever Daddy!" At the looks of confusion on the faces of the everyone else in the room, except her mother, Kara explained, "My parents are moving to Virginia!"**

**The room exploded with applause and Derek and Hotch came over to welcome the parents and offer their assistance. As everyone continued playing, Kara leaned her head back on the couch in contentment, within five minutes she was fast asleep.**

**Kara woke up the next morning slightly disoriented and with the feeling of being watched. Turning her head she found herself looking into the eyes of her soon-to-be husband. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked, covering her mouth with her hand as she spoke.**

"**Well…" Hotch smiled, removing her hand from her mouth and kissing her passionately, "You fell asleep somewhere around your Uncle Demetrius singing 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg' and slept all through the night."**

**Kara laughed at the image, "Yeah, for some reason, I have always fallen asleep whenever my Uncle Demetrius starts to sing anything. No idea why," she sat up and looked around the room.**

"**What are you looking for?" Hotch questioned as she sat up.**

**Kara looked at him and shook her head in bewilderment, "Nothing, I just had this strange dream and…it felt so real."**

"**What was the dream about?" Hotch asked, as he leaned against the headboard and pulled Kara to lean back against me.**

"**My uncle, Troy. Derek's father," Kara whispered. Looking up at Hotch, she continued, "I was two when he was killed. I don't even remember him. I've seen pictures and everything, but that's it. But, in my dream, he and I were in this ballet room and I was dancing for him and when I got done, he stood up and applauded and cheered and everything. Then he came over kissed the back of my hand, called me "Princess" and told me that he would always be watching over me and my family. Then he told me to tell Derek, Sarah, and Desiree that he was proud of them and for me to tell my Aunt Fran that he loves her." Kara began to cry softly.**

"**Aww, honey. That was a nice dream for you to have," Hotch said, his heart breaking in the face of her distress.**

"**I know. I just kinda feel cheated. Everyone else knew him. I didn't, all I know is that my parents let him name me," Kara said, wiping her face. Inhaling deeply she sat up fully and exhaled. "Well, that's enough of that. Tomorrow is the big day, and I refuse to be sad today," shaking herself gently, she smiled at Hotch who watched her in amazement and put on her robe.**

"**I smell bacon!" Kara said excitedly as the smell hit her in her nose. Hotch pulled on a shirt and his pajama bottoms and followed Kara out of the room. Stopping by the nursery and then Jack's room, they noticed that the rooms were empty. Hearing laughter and conversation, they walked downstairs to the kitchen and saw that the kitchen, dining room, and living room were alive and buzzing with people. Shawn was helping Mary, Fran, Sarah and Tanya: Mary's sister, in the kitchen with breakfast. In the dining room, they saw Penelope, JJ, Prentiss, Elle, Desiree, and Kathryn, bringing in tables, chairs, and tablecloths and setting up the room so that everyone could eat together. And in the living room they found Derek, Travin, Demetrius, Reid, Rossi, Will, Jacob, Rasheed, Rashad: two of Kara's uncles who were twins, Jack and the triplets. Kara grabbed Derek and pulled him to the side and told him about her dream, hugging him tightly when she finished. Making her rounds, she told her father, her mother, her aunt Fran and her cousins Sarah and Desiree about her dream, asking them all not to think she was crazy. They assured her that they didn't and thanked her for sharing, her aunt Fran even telling her that one of the last times that she was with her uncle he'd been dancing with her. By the time she'd finished, it was time for dinner. Feeling a little underdressed, Kara raced upstairs to change into a pair of jeans and her "Morgans=Awesome" t-shirt. Coming into the dining room, she posed as her family clapped their hands in approval.**

"**I love that you're wearing that shirt!" Desiree laughed.**

"**I love that I can still fit into it," Kara said amused.**

"**Where'd that shirt come from?" Penelope asked, smiling when Kara sat down.**

"**We got it made when Kara was in college. Her freshman year, she came home for summer break and told us all that we were going to Six Flags. We got some shirts made and when we went it was like a mini-family reunion or vacation. A lot of people really liked them," Desiree explained.**

"**Yeah, I remember one girl coming up to me and asking me if she had to be a Morgan to get one," Sarah laughed.**

"**Was it Tasha?" Kara asked, her eyes narrowing in rememberance.**

"**Yes!" Sarah said amazed, "How'd you know that?"**

"**Because she had a HUGE crush on Derek, and she saw him wearing his shirt, which was like two sizes too small around his arm and chest area, remember? So he could show off his 'FBI muscles', if you recall. She came up to me when he was trying to win me that huge stuff Tweety Bird," Kara said laughing as she shared the memory.**

"**I won it for you too," Derek stated proudly.**

"**Yeah, after spending like $50!!" Sarah teased, giggling.**

"**How much? Boy, you could've just bought her the damn stuffed animal," Kara's father admonished, laughing. Everyone laughed at that and Derek's face turned slightly red.**

"**Anyway, Tasha says, 'Hey Kara, I haven't seen you since high school graduation. And I see your cousin Derek's back too.' I knew what she wanted, I mean, all of my friends had a crush on Derek and even all of the girls who hated me," Kara continued.**

"**And that one little boy, too remember?" Kara's mother reminded her.**

"**Aww, man c'mon with that now," Derek groaned.**

**Laughing, Kara continued on with her story, "So Tasha starts talking to me about how she decided to go to community college instead of going off to school and I'm just eating my cotton candy and nodding my head at her, looking desperately for Sarah and Desiree who'd gone to the bathroom and then I hear her say something about my shirt. So I told her that Derek had gotten the shirts for us and I told her that he said it was his favorite shirt then I went and walked up to Derek where he stood at the counter, finally getting my Tweety Bird," she said, revealing her deception.**

**Everyone laughed hysterically as Derek yelled out, "I was wondering why that girl came up to me with that shirt on the next year and just kept looking at me!"**

**When the laughter died down, the room filled with the sounds of dishes and food being passed. After everyone had been served, Kara asked her father to bless the food in Hebrew. Smiling when the members of the BAU and their family members and dates all looked shocked as he began to pray:**

_**Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, bo're minei m'zonot.**_

_**As he finished the prayer, everyone said "Amen" and the eyes of the BAU team turned to Kara to explain. Laughing, she said, "I told you all that I knew how to speak Hebrew, I didn't tell you that my father is the one who taught it to me. He learned it as a young boy, then he served as a translator for years before he retired."**_

"_**I'm very impressed, sir," Prentiss stated, "I speak very little of the language, having learned Arabic as a child."**_

"_**Thank you," Travin nodded in Prentiss's direction.**_

_**The meal continued, conversations flowing easily as everyone talked about the wedding the next day. When everyone finished, the women cleared the table and brought out coffee and juice for everyone. Fran, Mary, and Tanya put the triplets and Jack down for a nap later on, the men decided to go out and play golf and some basketball before that evening and Kara and the girls went to have a spa day. All in all, it was a wonderful day and with eagerness for the next day, Kara accepted the blindfold over her eyes as the girls took her out for her bachelorette party. She knew that she wouldn't see Hotch that night, all of the men were sleeping over at Derek and Penelope's while all of the women were staying with her in their home. True to their word, the girls gave her a night to remember, complete with a scavenger hunt, a presentation slide with all of her ex boyfriends, and four strippers, Kara had never laughed so hard in her life. As she lay in bed that night, Sarah and Desiree on either side of her, Penelope, Prentiss and JJ laying on air mattresses on the floor, Kara laughed as Penelope shared details about her sex life with Derek, causing her, Sarah, and Desiree to cry out in mock agony.**_

"_**Eeeww!! Gross!" Desiree said as she gagged playfully.**_

_**Kara grabbed her phone when it rang, looking at the caller id she hushed the girls, telling them it was Hotch, "Hi baby," she answered.**_

"_**Hey sexy," he said to her, his words coming out in a hushed voice.**_

"_**Why are you whispering?" she asked.**_

"_**The guys made me promise that I wouldn't call you, but they're preoccupied and I wanted to call and tell you good night," he responded.**_

"_**Aaww, that's sweet," Kara said, sticking out her tongue at Sarah and Desiree who were mocking her.**_

"_**I love you and I can't wait to marry you tomorrow," Hotch said, sighing, his voice filled with adoration.**_

"_**I love you too," Kara stated, smiling happily.**_

"_**See you at the altar," Hotch said before saying goodbye and hanging up.**_

_**Kara hung up the phone and looked at the women in the room, laughing happily she yelled at the top of her lungs, "I'M GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW!!!"**_

_**The women in the room applauded and screamed loudly in support, only stopping when Fran and Mary came to the door and told them to go to sleep and stop making all that noise before they woke up the children.**_

"_**Yes ma'am," the girls all responded, contritely.**_

_**Blowing a kiss to her mom, Kara snuggled down underneath the covers and closed her eyes, her last thought being Hotch and their upcoming nuptials.**_


	18. The Wedding

***A/N: In reference to the previous chapter: Sorry for the errors, LOL, didn't catch them until hours later. Also, I researched and re-watched the episode from Season 2 "Profiler, Profiled" and the name of Derek's father was never given, so I just named him Troy. This chapter is about the wedding only so it's still rated T, but I'm warning you IN ADVANCE that the next chapter is the honeymoon and will be rated M. You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things."-Denis Diderot_

Kara awoke slowly as her nostrils were assailed with the smell of eggs, bacon, grits and pancakes. Grimacing, she turned her head away and waved her hand in an offhanded manner, "Aaron, take it away. It stinks, I don't want it. I want banana pancakes with strawberry and whipped cream topping," she murmured as she burrowed further underneath the covers.

"Okay baby," a female voice attempting to disguise itself as a male's responded.

Opening her eyes fully, Kara saw herself looking into the face of Emily Prentiss. "Prentiss!" she exclaimed sitting up in bed quickly. Prentiss, JJ, Penelope, Sarah, Desiree, Fran, Tanya, and Mary all laughed at Kara's expression.

"Kara, you do remember what today is right?" Penelope questioned, leaning close.

Closing her eyes and struggling to erase the last vestiges of the dream from the night before, clarity hit Kara's mind. Smiling slowly, she opened her eyes and let out a laugh of pure joy, the sound causing the other women to laugh. Throwing her eyes wide, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "I'M GETTING MARRIED TODAY!!!"

"Yes you are!" Fran agreed, having never seen her niece that happy before.

"But first, you're going to eat breakfast," Mary stated, ever the mother.

"Okay mommy, but, can I get my banana pancakes, what you're holding there is going to make me throw up majorly," Kara said, feeling squeamish.

Mocking her, Desiree and Sarah repeated in a Valley-girl, cheerleader tone, "Majorly."

Throwing a pillow in their direction, Kara grinned hugely before throwing back the covers and rising from the bed. "I am going to the bathroom now, and when I come out it's going to be time to eat and get ready for MY WEDDING!" The women in the room clapped and trooped downstairs.

Minutes later, Kara sat at the dining room table and ate the banana pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream that had been made by her mother and sighed with contentment. She looked up with a grin when her mother walked in carrying Emie and Liz, bending down so that she could kiss them both on their cheeks. Her aunt Tanya walked in next carrying A.J. and holding onto Jack's hand. Kissing both of her boys on the cheeks, Kara turned to finish her breakfast.

When Kara finished with her breakfast and had brushed her teeth, that was when the fun began. A team of professionals were shown into the bedroom, as she sat in Hotch's robe, so she could smell him. A professional photographer took massive amounts of pictures and the video-grapher recorded everything as Kara was prepared for the wedding. Her hair was brushed, combed, sprayed, spritzed, curled, pinned and styled, with long, loose curls flowing down her back. Her nails were next, they were buffed, cleaned, filed, she had tips put on them and ended up with a gorgeous French manicure and pedicure. Already feeling like a princess, Kara grinned widely when a makeup specialist stepped forward to do her makeup. As they finished, Kara turned around and grinned widely at Penelope and Desiree who were her matron and maid of honor respectively. When they both gasped and covered their mouths, Kara began to worry.

"Is it okay? Do I look okay? Did something happen? Did they mess up?" Kara sputtered out, her eyes wide with worry.

"You look absolutely amazing," Desiree breathed.

"You look like an angel, Kara," Penelope said.

"Oh, whatever," Kara laughed softly in relief, "Help me with my dress please."

Walking forward, Kara pulled off Hotch's robe and stepped into her bridal gown that was being held open for her.

"I refuse to get jealous over how perfect your body looks," Penelope teased.

Kara laughed out loud, "I'm four months pregnant Pen! I'm starting to get my little baby bump and everything, my body is no where near perfect," she stated as she stuck her arms into the sleeves of her bridal gown. Kara's gown was an off the shoulder, figure hugging bridal gown, white, that hugged her statuesque curves and then flared out at her waist as if it were a princess gown. The train was an extra long cathedral train, that was able to be detached and reattached if needed. Kara stuck her feet into the red heels that Desiree was holding for her. Her mother had been horrified when she'd told her that she was wearing red shoes with her white bridal gown, but she'd told her that she could either wear red shoes or a red dress. Her mother had caved in and agreed to the red shoes. Turning her back to Penelope, Kara dipped low so that she could fasten the tiara with the attached veil into her hair. Walking back to her dresser, Kara picked up her engagement ring and put it on, turning around she smiled at Pen and Des and finally stepped in front of the floor length mirror.

"Wow," she breathed as she stared at herself, "Who is that?" The dress's cut had her enlarged pregnancy breasts pushed up and together, giving her a very nice cleavage. Her hair that had been freshly dyed was curled beautifully and pinned back so that it flowed down her back. She smiled at Des and Pen and said happily, "Let's go get me married!"

Desiree and Penelope were already dressed in their baby blue gowns with their red sashes tied around their waists, that were low cut and floor length, so they followed Kara out of the room. Walking down the stairs, Kara could hear voices at the bottom. Hearing applause Kara looked down and saw Prentiss, JJ, and Sarah who were all in their red gowns with their blue sashes tied around their waists, looking up at her. As she stepped off the last step, Kara felt butterflies enter her stomach. _Ohmigosh, I'm getting married in a little while, _she thought to herself. Kara smiled widely when she saw her mother, and her aunts Fran and Tanya, all wearing red gowns walk in holding the seven-month old triplets and with Jack and Henry following behind them. Emerald and Elizabeth were wearing red dresses with baby blue sashes, whereas Aaron Jr., Jack, and Henry were wearing white tuxedos with baby blue cummerbunds.

"I think we're ready to go," Kara said.

"I know we are, let's get this girl to the church!" Sarah said happily.

Everyone began to walk towards the front door, grabbing their bouquets, Kara's honeymoon suitcase, and the diaper bags for the triplets. The front doorbell rang then and Penelope went to answer it. Standing on the other side was Kara's father and the two limousine drivers. "Hi, Mr. Morgan," Penelope smiled.

"Now Penelope, I thought I told you to call me Uncle Travin," Travin said smiling.

"You're right, sorry about that Uncle Travin," Penelope grinned back, opening the door wider and stepping to the side so that Travin could see his daughter. Kara stepped into the opening and smiled at her father.

"Hi Daddy," she whispered, before stepping forward to hug him. Travin's arms closed tightly around Kara and he kissed the side of her head.

"You are so beautiful Princess," he whispered thickly, tears clogging his throat.

"Thank you Daddy," Kara stated.

Everyone filed out then, separating into the two limousines, they headed off towards the church.

Hotch paced nervously back and forth in the waiting room of the church. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He knew that he wanted to marry Kara, he'd been dreaming about it for months before he'd even proposed to her, so what was wrong with him. Looking up when he heard the door open, Hotch found himself face to face with Jason Gideon.

"Gideon?" he said, shock evident in his voice.

"How are you Hotch?" Gideon asked, his face and voice filled with happiness and peace.

"I'm great. I'm getting married in a little bit," Hotch stated, his voice still filled with shock.

"Yeah, I heard," Gideon responded, chuckling slightly as he went to sit down.

"How did you hear?" Hotch questioned.

"Your future wife is amazingly persuasive," Gideon laughed.

Derek hurried into the room, speaking quickly, "Hotch! Man, I think I just saw Gideon-" he stopped when he saw that the topic of conversation was sitting in the room. "Gideon?" he blinked his eyes rapidly, "what-I-how…what are you doing here?"

Gideon laughed then, a sound that Derek hadn't heard since he and the rest of the team had watched Charlie Chaplin together after one particularly difficult case. "The tech girl…Garcia, no wait, you married her, so Morgan…what was her name?" Gideon wondered.

"Penelope," Derek and Hotch said at the same time.

"Right, Penelope, your wife along with Kara, your cousin and Hotch's future wife, tracked me down and told me about the wedding," looking at Hotch, he continued a small smile on his face, "Kara told me that while my actions hurt the team when I left abruptly, she knew that I was still considered family and that she knew that one of the greatest wedding presents that she could give to you, was my presence. Then she told me that she would expect to see me at the wedding."

Derek and Hotch laughed then, it was definitely something that Kara would say. The door opened again and in walked Rossi, Reid, Shawn, Will, and James, an old law school friend of Hotch. Hotch looked at all the men gathered there and introduced them to Gideon. He watched as Gideon and Reid hugged and Reid struggled not to cry. The two of them had been extremely close, Gideon taking on a fatherly role for Reid. There was a knock on the door and the men were informed that it was time to get into position. Inhaling deeply, Hotch accepted the handshake and back pat from Gideon and Rossi. Then nodding at all of the other men, he and Shawn separated from the other men and walked to the front of the church and stood at the altar to wait for the rest of the wedding party and Kara to walk down the aisle.

Kara wrung her hands together and bit her lip nervously as she waited for her turn to walk down the aisle. In an attempt to calm her nerves, she began to hum to herself quietly. She smiled and accepted the cup of water handed to her by the wedding planner. "Are you okay?" Jordyn asked as he took the now empty cup away from Kara.

Exhaling through her mouth, Kara nodded her head "yes" and then shook her head "no." "I am freaking out!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto the shoulders of Jordyn and giving him a small shake.

Jordyn laughed, a little relieved that Kara was finally starting to freak out. She was the only bride that he'd ever met who was completely composed through all of the planning of her wedding, never once had she freaked out or had a _bridezilla_ moment. He'd suspected that it was because of her training in the FBI and the fact that she'd given birth to triplets. Now that she was freaking out, Jordyn felt a little more in his element.

"Okay, calm down Kara," he said, beginning his pep talk. Five minutes later, Kara was a lot calmer and was even smiling. He turned and walked away to get into his position at the back of the church. He watched as Kara smoothed her hands down over her barely noticeable baby bump and smile. It was going to be okay.

Kara touched the blue garter belt that her mother had given to her and that she'd been told that she had to give back, through the fabric of her gown. She had her something _old, blue _and _borrowed_. Realizing that she had nothing _new_ Kara began to panic. Rushing over to where her father stood she bounced somewhat as she explained the situation. "Daddy! I don't have my something new! I can't get married now!" she said her eyes wide with the realization. Not usually someone who believed in old wives' tales and superstitions, Kara was surprised herself that something so small and trivial could mean so much to her.

"Calm down Princess," her father laughed moments before Derek walked over with a smile on his face.

"Sorry Apple Head," he apologized as he produced a jewelry box from behind his back, "Hotch asked me to deliver this to you a while ago, but I got sidetracked by Gideon being here, so before I walk with my wife down the aisle I thought that you'd let me put it on you?"

Looking at Hotch's gift to her, Kara felt a peace wash over her. Every worry and nervous feeling washed away and she smiled and nodded her head. Gasping she stared at the new silver necklace with the diamond pendant in the center and lifting her hair and veil and pulling them to the side, she allowed Derek to clasp the necklace around her neck. Grabbing hold of the teardrop diamond, Kara's eyes filled with tears and she struggled to not allow any to spill over.

"Aww, c'mon Apple Head, you know you're ugly when you cry," Derek teased as he saw Kara become choked up.

Laughing at Derek's attempt to cheer her up, Kara nodded her head and blotted her eyes with the handkerchief provided by her father.

"Thank you Daddy," she said. Leaning up, she kissed Derek on his cheek and thanked him for delivering the necklace to her. She watched as he and Penelope began their walk down the aisle and then took her position at the double doors and took her father's arm. She felt Jordyn and his assistant attach her train and spread it out behind her. She received her father's kiss and then, with just enough time to take one deep breath, the double doors opened and as the first strains of Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" began to play, she and her father began their descent down the aisle.

"We will now have a reading by a friend of both Kara and Aaron. SSA Emily Prentiss will be reading an Elizabeth Barrett Browning sonnet," the pastor said as Prentiss walked to the podium and began her reading.

_If thou must love me, let it be for nought_

_Except for love's sake only. Do not say_

_I love her for her smile--her look--her way_

_Of speaking gently,--for a trick of thought_

_That falls in well with mine, and certes brought_

_A sense of ease on such a day--_

_For these things in themselves, Beloved, may_

_Be changed, or change for thee,--and love, so wrought,_

_May be unwrought so. Neither love me for_

_Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheek dry,--_

_A creature might forget to weep, who bore_

_Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!_

_But love me for love's sake, that evermore_

_Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity._

Prentiss smiled as the audience applauded when she finished the reading for Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnet XIV" and returned to her position in line between Sarah and JJ. The ceremony continued and then in a surprise announcement, the pastor handed Kara a microphone and informed the guests and the wedding party that Kara would be singing a special song to her future husband. Inhaling deeply, Kara smiled into Hotch's startled gaze, nodding her head at the pianist, she opened her mouth to begin to sing "Unforgettable," the first song that she'd ever sang for Hotch.

_Unforgettable_

_That's what you are_

_Unforgettable_

_Though near or far_

_Like a song of love_

_That clings to me_

_How the thought of you_

_Does things to me_

_Never before_

_Has someone been more_

_Unforgettable_

_In every way_

_And forevermore_

_That's how you'll stay_

_That's why darling_

_It's incredible_

_That someone so_

_Unforgettable_

_Thinks that I am_

_Unforgettable too_

_Unforgettable_

_In every way_

_And forevermore_

_That's how you'll stay_

_That's why darling_

_It's incredible_

_That someone so_

_Unforgettable_

_Thinks that I am_

_Unforgettable too._

As the room erupted with applause at the end of the song, Kara smiled and handed the microphone back to the pastor, so that he could continue with the ceremony. The pastor then moved on to the lighting of the unity candles and then with Kara and Hotch standing before him he had them do their vows:

_I, Aaron, take you Kara Morgan to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to love you. Honor and keep you. Through good times and bad. For richer or for poorer. In sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep only unto you as long as we both shall live._

_I, Kara, take you Aaron Hotchner to be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to love you. Honor and keep you. Through good times and bad. For richer or for poorer. In sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep only unto you as long as we both shall live._

Hotch turned to Shawn for the wedding band that he would place on Kara's left ring finger as Kara turned to Penelope for the wedding band that she would place on Hotch's finger.

_With this ring, I thee wed and join my life with yours, forever._

_His voice full of happiness, the pastor stated, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. SSA Aaron Hotchner, you may now kiss your bride."_

Bending Kara over his arm, the room faded and time stood still as Hotch gave her a kiss that she would feel for a lifetime. A kiss that she would recall fondly for the rest of her life. She would tell her children and her children's children, who would tell their children about that kiss. In that kiss, Hotch and Kara felt all the love of the ages, and in it they felt their own love, and that love took their breath away, made their heart stop beating and race all at the same time. Straightening up and bringing Kara with him, Hotch lifted his head and smiled at Kara who looked slightly dazed. They turned to their family, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances who had given them a standing ovation as they kissed and smiled. Kara waved at Michael Frank, a survivor of Robert Brody's, who'd flown in for the wedding from Bismarck, ND. She blew a kiss to Mr. and Mrs. Avontine, Mr. and Mrs. Jumuniez, the parents of some of the deceased children from Chicago. As she and Hotch made their way up the aisle, she waved happily at Devontae Anderson, Cheryl Eugene, Aimee Madison and their parents, the children who had been rescued in Chicago. She was happy and surprised to see them all there.

"You really had an impact on them," Hotch whispered to Kara, even as he waved at many survivors of cases that he'd worked on.

"As did you," Kara said smiling back at Hotch.

They walked out of the double doors and they both gave up a yell of happiness, hugging each other fiercely and then turning to the members of their wedding party, they hugged them and received their congratulations.

"Thank you!" Kara said to Shawn as he welcomed her to the family, she then saw Derek smiling at her with tears in his eyes.

"Wait a minute," Kara breathed softly, causing everyone to stop and look at her and then look at Derek, "Is that Derek Morgan crying?" she teased, she watched as Derek shook his head at her fondly, the tears spilling over onto his cheeks, "SSA Derek Morgan is crying? Really? I thought he was a big macho man," she continued teasing him as she slowly walked towards him, her hands held up in front of her as she approached him. "I don't believe it, I just don't believe it," she finished as she stood directly in front of Derek.

Smiling at her indulgently, Derek hugged her fiercely and then said, "I'm sorry, I just realized that you're not technically a Morgan anymore, you're a-" gesturing towards Hotch who had just walked up, "Hotchner now," Derek watched as Kara and Hotch smiled at each other, "It just made me a little nostalgic for my little cousin who got in her first fight at age 8 and told the little boy who she'd just beaten up that she was a Morgan and he better not ever forget it." Derek smiled then at Kara, kissing her on her forehead, then turning to Hotch he said, "I told you once before, but I'm going to tell you again, you better take care of my cousin. Don't you ever hurt her or allow any harm to come to her or I will hang your head on my wall, with all due respect."

Hotch nodded his head and replied in all seriousness, "Yes sir. I promise."

Kara smiled at Hotch and then turning to Derek she promised, "That was very sweet Derek. Here's one thing you need to know however, I will always, always, always be a Morgan. No matter what. And I will always be your little cousin," she accepted Derek's hug and then with a hand of departure on his arm, she took Hotch's hand and walked away to go and greet their guests.

The reception was a loud boisterous affair with dancing, singing, and many shared memories. Kara and Hotch cut the cake, with both of them eyeing the other as they went to feed it to the other, to make sure that the cake wasn't smashed in their face. And when it came time for the bouquet to be thrown, Kara tossed it over her shoulder and cheered the loudest when Prentiss caught it. Then it was Hotch's turn to throw the garter. He stuck his head underneath Kara's skirt, to the applause of his friends and the booing of the males of Kara's family and emerged with one of the two garters that Kara was wearing, the white one was the toss-away, turning his back, he flung it over his shoulder and laughed when it landed on Reid's head. The newlywed couple then went to hug and kiss their children, who were being left in the care of Kara's parents, who had found a house right down the street from them. Waving to their friends and family, Hotch and Kara climbed into the waiting limousine that would take them to the airport where they would fly to Hawaii for two weeks. The kissed each other passionately and cuddled as they enjoyed their first ride together as husband and wife.

*A/N: Sorry for the delay, I'm totally having issues with FF right now...so it might be like two or three chapters updated in like a day...so...yeah, enjoy! LOL.


	19. The Honeymoon and The Fox

***A/N: This chapter is about is the honeymoon and other things, so it is rated M. You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_The greatest test of a man comes when faced with the loss of love."-Veronica Victorian_

Hotch and Kara stumbled into their hotel suite, their lips and hands moving quickly as they kissed and stripped the clothes off each other on their honeymoon night. Flying to Hawaii had given them an extra three hours on their wedding day and they were intending to make good use of the extra time. They had gotten off the plane and picked up their waiting rental vehicle, Hotch stating that he didn't want to have to wait on a taxi or a shuttle and they had set off for their hotel. Upon arriving, they'd received their leis and had checked in, the bellboy taking their bags to their room. Standing in their hotel suite looking at each other, they both felt the tug to make love as husband and wife sweep over them, but Hotch wanted to make sure that Kara ate before they got into bed because he was pretty sure that he wasn't going to be letting her out of bed for quite some time. So they'd gone walking on the beach, not talking, just holding hands and walking and then he'd taken her out to eat at a restaurant. Sitting across from her and realizing that she was now his wife, almost sent Hotch into a sexual frenzy of need, but he'd controlled himself. Kara was not as lucky, however. It seemed as though Hotch in Hawaii was a world away from Hotch in D.C. Hotch in Hawaii walked around with either no shirt on, like at the beach or with four buttons unbuttoned, showing off much of his muscled chest, which was turning Kara on a lot. She'd sat there watching him as they ate their dinner and knew that they had to hurry up and get to the room. That plan was foiled however, when Hotch suggested that they dance, instead of returning to the room. Smiling tightly, Kara had agreed, not realizing that Hotch was struggling not to appear the sex-starved "manimal" by dragging her off to the room. He'd wanted to romance her and truly give her a wedding night to remember. So the newly wed couple stepped out onto the dance floor and were shocked to hear the band begin to play a Latin song, a mambo tune. Hotch knew very little about how to mambo, but Kara, of course, was an expert at it. As she began to swing around him, gyrate against him, throw her leg around his waist, and put his arms around her as they moved, Hotch knew he couldn't take anymore. Leaning down close to her ear, he whispered thickly, "Our room…now!" Kara knew exactly what he meant as the dance had fired up her hormones as well and grabbing her wrap and purse, the two set off for the hotel. Which brought them to where they were now, pressed up against the wall, Kara's purse and wrap long since discarded by the door, along with the keys and Hotch's jacket.

Pressing Kara's arms up above her head and against the wall, Hotch held her hands there with one of his and using his other hand, he ran his hand along the side of her body. Past her right breast, her hip, her thigh, where he grabbed the hem of her dress and slowly drew it up, with his hand underneath it. His touch caused Kara to shiver in anticipation as the two continued to kiss. Reaching Kara's hips, Hotch groaned when he realized that she still wasn't wearing panties. Tearing his mouth away from hers for a moment he panted out, "Were you wearing panties during our wedding?" Kara smiled at him and shook her head "no" an answer which caused Hotch to groan again before crushing her lips with his again and take his hand and place it over her stomach. He only briefly rubbed the child that lay within, before his hand rose to her breast. He began kissing down the side of her neck, sucking, lightly nipping certain areas, enough to give her hickies all over her neck as he played with first her right and then her left breast.

"I have to see you," his rough voice said as he jerked back and ripped the dress off of her.

"That dress cost me $300," Kara laughed as she looked at the blue designer dress that now lay in two parts on the floor behind Hotch.

"I'll buy you another one…I'll buy you three more," Hotch said laughing as he looked at the scrap of material. Turning back to the matter at hand, he sighed as he view her naked body. "Glorious. Delicious. Magnificent. Perfect. Amazing. Mine," he said succinctly as he described her body, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Oh, Aaron," Kara moaned as she pulled his lips down to hers and kissed him deeply. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened in ecstasy as he slowly made his way down her body to her intimate flesh. She gasped as she felt him open her up to his mouth and tongue, she felt as his tongue moved rapidly over her center, she was close to exploding when he stood up and removed his clothing quickly, his mouth pressed hard against hers. Lifting her up, Hotch drew her legs around his waist and entered her slowly and deeply. Pressing her up against the wall, he began to move inside of her, filling her completely. The only sounds heard in the room were the sounds of lovemaking, intense, passionate, hot, and fiercely intimate lovemaking.

Hours later, Hotch and Kara lay in their hotel bed, having made love twice more since their frenzied lovemaking against the wall. Once in the shower and then again in the bed, where they'd finally decided to get some sleep.

"Is it just me or does it seem much more intimate, more intense and passionate when we make love now that we're married?" Kara murmured from where she lay on Hotch's chest as they watched an episode of "George Lopez", their favorite late night television show.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Hotch chuckled, "I don't know, maybe it's because now we're joined together. Bonded. Truly committed. One person. Now it's official, we belong to each other, now and forever."

Smiling, Kara gave a great sigh of contentment, "Forever," she murmured as she yawned and fell asleep, snuggled against his chest.

The newlyweds had an enjoyable honeymoon, spending their days exploring Hawaii, trying out restaurants, swimming, shopping and making love and spending their nights dancing, eating, talking, and making love. Their leaving of the island was bittersweet. They'd kept in touch with the team, who'd had only one case come up during their trip in Mobile, Alabama that they'd consulted on while on their honeymoon, but the team had insisted that they not cut the honeymoon short just to come back to work on that particular case. The case was solved within a few short days, the newlyweds only needing to be called twice for consulting. Kara sighed as Hotch retrieved their luggage from baggage claim, they came back with four extra suitcases than what they'd left with, having bought gifts for the kids, the team, and family. She saw him walking back pushing a luggage rack with their bags on it. She saw him stop to answer the phone at the same time her own phone rang, looking at the caller id, she saw that it was Prentiss, smiled and answered it, "Hotchner," she said testing out the name rather than her usual, "Morgan" greeting.

"Kara! Oh good! You're okay!" Prentiss said frantically.

"Yeah, I'm great, why?" Kara said confused as she saw Hotch walk away from their luggage and begin to push his way through the crowd.

"We just got word that Karl Arnold escaped from prison! He left a note in his cell that he was going to pay his respects the newlywed Agent Hotchner. We're sending backup for you guys right now," Prentiss said rapidly.

Kara felt her blood freeze in her body, "What about my children?" she whispered the question.

"Derek and Penelope have them and there's been a beef-up of security around them also, they think that one of the guards may have helped him escape, it was effortless, he practically walked out of the prison," Prentiss said, her voice tight with anger.

Kara began to walk towards Hotch, her only thought to get to her children and to get them to safety. There was an amazing amount of people in the airport at that time, the traffic of their rapidly moving bodies encumbering she and Hotch from getting to each other.

"I can't believe it," Kara said into the phone.

"Don't worry Kara, we're going to find this bastard and keep all of you safe. I don't think Hotch could take losing another wife," Prentiss comforted her through the phone.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that, and especially a pregnant wife, I think he would-" Kara's words were cut off when she felt a knife being pressed against her back.

"Don't make any sudden moves, or I will kill you right here," a voice said behind her.

Kara began to pant in fear, the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She heard Prentiss yelling at her through the phone and she saw Hotch stop in the middle of the crowd, his eyes narrowed in anger as he stared at the man over her shoulder.

"Who are you?" Kara asked.

"My name is Karl, I believe the papers called me The Fox, but all you need to concern yourself with is the fact that I am the man holding the knife to your back, who has the power to kill you right here, you and that unborn child growing within you, right in front of Agent Hotchner over there. Now, I want you to back up and then turn and I want you to walk slowly out of the front of the building and get into the waiting blue car, we're going on a little trip," Karl growled in her ear as he grinned at Kara.

Kara saw Hotch trying to get closer and she shook her head "no." Karl was desperate, he had some sort of vendetta against Hotch and he would not hesitate to kill her in front of him and she needed to stay alive as long as she could for Hotch and her children. Walking ahead of Karl, Kara walked out of the doors of the airport and climbed into the passenger side of the waiting blue Chevy through the driver's side door, with Karl right behind her, as he put the car into drive, Kara turned to watch Hotch as he attempted to chase the car as it pulled away. Turning around, refusing to show emotion, Kara discreetly tried to open the door.

"Welded shut," Karl said a smile in his voice, "You're all mine, Agent Morgan…oh wait it's Agent Hotchner now isn't it?" his laugh was menacing as he laughed at his own attempt at humor.

Kara refused to speak to Karl, knowing that her voice would shake with rage or fear, so she turned her face to the window, trying to remember every landmark that they passed so that when she talked to Hotch on the phone, which she was sure Karl would make her do, she'd be able to relay some sort of information to him. She could only hope that he was holding it together.

Hotch struggled against the agents and officers that were trying to get information from him and were trying to get him to get into the waiting vehicle to take him to where his children were. "I NEED TO GO AND GET MY WIFE!! THAT BASTARD HAS MY WIFE AND SHE'S PREGNANT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Stopping when he saw Derek jump out of an approaching SUV. "DEREK!" he screamed as he approached, "he's got Kara!!" Hotch knew that Derek would allow him to go with the team to go and find Kara.

Derek stepped in front of Hotch and pulling back his arm he punched him square in the jaw. "I told you to take care of her! She's pregnant and because of you, some psychotic killer has her?! I should kill you right here, but she'd want you alive, so get your ass up and let's go," Derek's voice was hard as he spoke through clenched teeth, his jaw clenched hard, his face a stone cold mask as he stared at Hotch who'd hit the ground upon Derek's punch. Hotch looked up at Derek, knowing that emotion and fear had caused him to react in such a way, and it was only his own fear and emotion that prevented him from reacting and punching him back and firing him. Rising slowly from the ground, Hotch nodded once and walked with Derek to the SUV.

"The kids?" he asked, his voice no longer frantic, but calm, controlled, and devoid of emotion.

"My aunt and uncle have them, Pen's with the team, they're going to meet us at the BAU," Derek replied, turning on the sirens in the vehicle and speeding off towards the office.

"What?! Why are we going to the BAU? We should be going after Kara and Karl!" Hotch said, turning to face Derek.

"And we will, but we're going to think like him, profile him again, figure out what his next move is. Remember he didn't kidnap just anyone, he kidnapped Kara, an agent with the FBI, your wife and…" Derek paused and inhaled sharply, releasing his breath slowly before he finished, "my baby cousin. He is totally messing with the wrong family now."

Hotch nodded in agreement, struggling to reign in his torrid emotions. He felt himself shaking inside with rage and fear. He had promised Kara's family that he would protect her and take care of her, he'd promised Kara. He could only hope that he'd have the opportunity to make it up to her. Exhaling, Hotch focused on Kara, on her smile and the last time he'd seen her. Even when faced with the prospect of death, she'd been concerned about him and their children, because he knew that's why she'd shaken her head at him for him not to continue coming towards them. Whispering "I love you," to her, hoping she could feel it wherever she was, he jumped out of the SUV and Derek brought it to a rolling stop and rushed into the BAU, ready to profile and catch the sonofabitch who'd had the audacity to kidnap his wife, the mother of his children and the love of his life.

"_Heroes are made in the hour of defeat. Success is, therefore, well described as a series of glorious defeats."-Mohandas K. Gandhi_

_*A/N: And the drama returns! As does "The Fox". He has Kara who's expecting. Will this cause Hotch to break or leave the FBI? How much more can the poor guy take? And poor Kara. And Derek! Wow, can't believe my muse had him hit Hotch! That shocked even me! LOL. I look forward to your reviews, keep 'em coming!!_


	20. Tu Es Mi Casa

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."-Anne Bradstreet_

Kara had a feeling that they were going to be stopping soon. Karl had noticed her trying to remember the landmarks that they passed early into her abduction and laughing at her, he'd pulled over to the side of the road and had blindfolded her. She'd counted the turns that they'd taken and knew that they'd eventually ended up heading back into the center of town. They'd stopped and he'd forced her from the car into another car. She'd slipped off one of her shoes right before getting into the second car in order to make sure that when the team came that way that they'd know she was there. She had a feeling that Karl was trying to disorient her by taking a lot of turns, but he didn't know that she, Derek, Desiree, and Sarah had always played the "Blind Captain" game growing up and that she had a lot of experience, keeping her bearings even when faced with multiple turns. She knew that they were somewhere close to her home with Hotch and the kids when they stopped at a red light and she heard salsa music playing. They had neighbors that owned a store at the end of their street who always played salsa music. Kara tried not to smile. Karl may be a sneaky bastard, but just like every other criminal mastermind, he was an idiot. She felt the car drive up a driveway and turn into what she figured was the backyard. He opened the door and pulled her out of her seat.

"Don't try anything stupid, Mrs. Agent Hotchner," Karl whispered in her ear, before kissing her cheek.

Kara struggled not to flinch, move or react at all, allowing him to lead her into the house through the backdoor. She knew that the first two rooms that he led her through had no furniture at all in them because of the echoes of their footsteps. She was brought into a carpeted room and shoved down onto a couch. Karl removed the blindfold from her eyes and Kara tried not to gasp when she found herself looking at her house. They were right across the street! Turning her head, Kara flinched as she saw the bodies of the Lopez family, murdered, in the room.

"When?" she whispered.

Karl glanced over his shoulder and shrugged, "About two days ago. It's all your fault really. You and Agent Hotchner called and said that you had extended your trip by two days, because you wanted to go and visit you aunt in Chicago, so I was still here when they came home from their trip."

"How do you know all that?" Kara asked, shocked.

Turning around to face her, Karl smiled at her indulgently, "Really? Don't you know anything about me?" at her look of ignorance, he shook his head and laughed, "Tsk, tsk, tsk Agent Hotchner, why wouldn't you tell your wife about me?" he asked an invisible Hotch before he answered Kara, "I escaped from prison days ago, had a friend who got me out, and who checked me off for roll call. From what I understand he got hurt in a gang fight out at the prison, so my absence was discovered sometime yesterday. I've been kept abreast of all the comings and goings on of the BAU team since I got caught. And when I got out, it wasn't hard to pose as a friend of Agent Hotchner who missed the wedding. Why I was told all about your triplets, how the two of you first met, how you fell in love, how you got engaged, how you got pregnant again, and how you two went to Hawaii for your honeymoon. I went to deliver a package to your home, on the day that you were supposed to be back and your parents told me that you had extended your honeymoon for two days." Having finished his explanation, Karl turned back to the window. He sighed and turned to look at her. "Well, you know what's going to happen now," he walked towards her, holding a disposable cell phone in his hand, "You're going to talk to your husband, you're going to tell him that you want him to meet us at the park, no back up, and he's to bring my wife and kids with him."

Kara nodded, realizing now why Karl had escaped and kidnapped her, he was a family murderer, he murdered families because of his own failings and shortcomings, he'd want to finish with his own family, the source of his angst. Taking the phone into her hand, Kara struggled to think of a way to let Hotch and the team know where she was without letting Karl know what was going on.

Hotch paced in front of the bulletin board. They'd profiled Karl, "The Fox", all over again, and they'd come up with the profile that he'd probably escaped from prison in order to kill his family and probably Hotch's as well. Hotch sighed as he looked at the cell phone he held in his hand.

"Why hasn't he called yet?" Hotch growled in frustration.

"Boss man, why don't you sit down, you're making me dizzy," Penelope complained as she put her hand up to her head.

"Here baby, this should help," Derek sighed out as he handed Penelope a glass of water and a plate filled with donuts.

"Thank you for the water baby cakes, but I don't think I can eat anything until Kara's found," Penelope stated before sipping from the glass given to her.

"I know how you feel baby. I mean, I don't think I'll be the same unless Kara is found alive and well also," Derek said, his eyes sliding over to Hotch in anger, "but, you know if she were here, that she'd be telling you to eat. You have to think about our baby also." Penelope nodded and began to slowly eat a donut.

"Technically, if Kara were here, Garcia…" Reid began, only to be cutoff by Prentiss, JJ, Derek and Rossi interrupting him and correcting him by saying, "Morgan." Reid nodded his head in commiseration, "Still, she would not be in the current emotional distress and having the depressed symptom of having no appetite if Kara were actually here, so there would be no need for Kara to be telling her to eat, for it would be no doubt that Penelope would be eating."

The team just stared at Reid for a long moment, none of them speaking.

"I hope Kara's okay. I hope he hasn't done anything to her," JJ whispered.

"She's fine!" Hotch yelled, his eyes traveling over the assembled group, "She's an agent, she's strong, smart, quick, she's okay."

"You're right Hotch, she's okay," Rossi agreed as he stood up to comfort the Unit Chief who seemed to be deteriorating before their eyes.

"I can't lose her David," Hotch whispered, his eyes pleading for understanding as his voice choked on a sob.

"I know Aaron, I know," Rossi nodded.

"Well, you should've thought of that before you let her get kidnapped!" Derek's words exploded in the quiet room with anger. "You should've been checking your phone constantly for messages, your inbox for emails! We let you know! You said you were going to protect her! You promised! And now that BASTARD has my cousin! My pregnant cousin! And if he kills her…" Derek's voice broke off as he turned away in fury, his fist slamming into the wall, before he lowered his head to the wall and broke down, huge sobs bursting forth from his mouth. The sound ripping through the hearts of everyone in the room.

Hotch marched over and stood in front of Derek, looking down at him, he finally spoke his mind, "I understand that you're hurt about your cousin. But you need to remember something MORGAN…Kara is a HOTCHNER now, she's MY WIFE! The mother of my children. She's pregnant with my baby! She is the love of my life, if he kills or hurts her, he's done it to me, and my children. I know you're mad and you're scared, but so am I. And no, I didn't check my phone, because I was on my honeymoon, we checked it when you guys called for a consultation, but when we decided to go to Chicago, Kara didn't want any interferences as she spent time with your mother and sisters. She said that for once, the BAU didn't exist and I listened to her," Hotch's voice broke and Derek's eyes softened as he realized for the first time since this horrible ordeal began, that he wasn't going through this alone. "I shouldn't have listened to her," Hotch finished, "It's my fault, I should've kept in contact-"

"Don't do that to yourself, Hotch. Of course you listened to her, she's your wife," Prentiss said consoling Hotch. The rest of the team moved to surround Hotch and Derek who had pulled himself up from the floor and was now standing to face Hotch.

"Yeah, and we know Kara. It would've been worse for you if you hadn't listened to her, she would've made your life miserable," Derek sniffled, a smile coming to his face. The rest of the team laughed at this, Kara was known for her stubborn, "street" personality, another Morgan trait. Just beginning to relax some, the team froze again upon hearing Hotch's cell phone ring.

"Hotch," Kara heard Hotch answer.

"Hola mi amor," Kara said, speaking in Spanish, knowing that Hotch would be aware of it.

Lowering his voice so as not to be heard by Karl, Hotch replied, "Are you okay?"

"Si, Papi," Kara answered, her voice trembling in fear. When Karl tapped her with the gun held in his hand she knew that he had to talk and think fast. Biting her lip she said, "Hotch, Karl wants you to meet us at the park with his wife and children in two hours. Don't bring any backup when you come or he's going to kill me and our six children." Looking up at Karl who had nudged her again, she said quickly, "Te amo mi Corazon. Te quiero mucho. Tu es mi casa. Buenos tardes no adios." She knew that Hotch would be able to figure out where she was from all of that…she hoped. Watching as Karl hung up the phone and nodded his head, a smile of pleasure coming to his lips, Kara felt physically ill.

"I think I'm going to throw up," Kara said.

"Hold it in," Karl growled as he went back to the window.

"I'm pregnant, it doesn't work that way," Kara groaned out as she hopped up from the chair and covered her mouth.

"Oh great! Down the hall to your left," Karl yelled seconds before Kara took off in that direction. She could only hope that this would buy her some time.

"She's at the house across the street from ours," Hotch said smiling as he hung up the phone, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair and walking out of the door.

"How do you know?" Rossi asked as his strides matched Hotch's.

"Yeah, how do you know?" Derek asked as he held onto Penelope's hand as they made their way down the stairs of the BAU.

"Because Kara and Maria, Mrs. Lopez, across the street were always talking and hanging out and whenever she would come home after being over there, she always came home speaking Spanish. I told her that I could always tell if she'd been in the Lopez house because she'd be speaking Spanish. It was kind of like a running joke between our families. Plus Maria would never say 'Adios' to us, she said that it was bad luck to say 'goodbye' to someone, she would say Buenos Noches or Buenos Tardes or something to that effect. On the phone Kara mostly spoke in Spanish, she said 'Buenos tardes no adios' which means 'good afternoon not goodbye.' She spoke of our SIX children, we have four with one on the way which would give us five, however, Maria was one of six children and her stories had Kara telling me that she wanted to have six children in all," Hotch explained in a rapid speech. Prentiss got on the phone and called for back up to drive on the next street over and to come up towards the back side of the house. JJ called and got someone who could look like Hotch driving to drive the SUV to the house, run in and then run back out with his briefcase before jumping back into the SUV and driving off in the direction of the airport. Derek called his aunt and uncle and asked them to keep the kids occupied at his house until they all got done with the case, assuring his aunt that Kara was okay, he told her that Kara was assisting them.

"You know that he's got to be watching your house, so how do we get him, without him killing Kara first?" JJ questioned.

"I'm sure Kara will be able to keep herself out of his line of fire, we just have to hurry up and get to her," Derek said.

Kara flushed the toilet and closed the lid, laying her head down on top. The stress of the situation had really caught up to her. Sighing, she stood up and walked towards the sink, her eyes catching movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking through the window that faced the side of the house, Kara saw members of SWAT and then members of the BAU approaching the house, racing to the other window in the bathroom, Kara saw as Hotch's SUV pulled up in front of their house. Looking closely, she saw that it was Agent Randall who raced inside and then came back out. To someone who didn't know, Agent Randall looked like Hotch. Realizing that Hotch had understood and that the nightmare was nearly over, Kara looked around the bathroom, trying to find a safe place to position herself. She swung towards the door when she heard Karl banging on the door, telling her that it was time to come out and that the windows had been welded shut as well, so she might as well give up. She needed to get Karl out in the open so that someone from SWAT could take him out, but as long as he was near the bathroom where she was, he was relatively safe. Washing her hands and rinsing out her mouth, Kara opened the door and was yanked hard against Karl.

"It's time to go Mrs. Hotchner," he said before kissing her roughly. Kara struggled against him, finally managing to pull away. Karl laughed and walked before her, heading towards the kitchen, as Kara followed, she found herself grabbed and hauled into a room, a hand covering her mouth so that she couldn't scream. She was passed into other waiting arms and then lifted out of the window that had been cut out, as she passed through the window she felt herself being lowered into arms that she knew very well. Looking up into Hotch's gaze, Kara smiled.

"You figured it out," she whispered as Hotch lowered her feet to the ground.

"Of course I did. You did very well at letting me know," Hotch replied kissing the tip of her nose.

"Hey you two, do this later, huh?" Prentiss said smiling. The two nodded and following Reid and Prentiss they hurried away from the house and into the waiting SUV moments before the house was filled with the sounds of gunshots.

"He killed Maria and Ramon," Kara whispered to Hotch in the vehicle, tears finally streaming down her face, "I'm glad that the kids were visiting Maria's brother."

"I'm sorry to hear that, they were really nice people. But I'm glad that you're okay," Hotch stated as the rode in the car towards Derek and Penelope's home, "I was so scared. I thought I'd never see you again."

"I knew that you would find me. Either you or Derek," Kara sighed looking up she gasped, "Did you get knocked out?" she asked as she touched the bruise on his jaw.

"I got hit, but it was an accident, I'm fine," Hotch shrugged.

"Derek hit you?!" Kara sat up quickly, shocked.

"How did you know it was Derek?" Hotch questioned.

"He's the only one stupid enough to hit his boss because of something that he perceives is your fault," Kara muttered, "Idiot."

The occupants of the vehicle were quiet then for a moment and then they all burst into laughter. Kara hadn't let the incident affect her. She was still the same old Kara.

"_Take risks: If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise."-Anonymous_

_*A/N: I know that the action moved kind of quickly towards the end there, but they had to move fast to rescue Kara. The next chapter will be a semi-all happy one, so be ready! I look forward to your reviews!!_


	21. Jonathan, Surprises and Judith Garland

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them."-Washington Irving_

Penelope Garcia-Morgan was not a very happy woman. Exhaling loudly and in complete frustration, she jerked off the shirt that she had on and stepped out of the closet. Putting her hands on her hips she glared at Derek who stood in front of the mirror adjusting his tie. He turned to look at her, a wide grin coming to his face.

"Um…Baby?" he chuckled, "While I think you look gorgeous no matter if you're clothed or not, I think that Kara may have a little bit of a problem with you showing up to her 30th birthday party in nothing but your bra and panties," he said as he continued to smile.

"Nothing. Fits," Penelope's voice was filled with frustration, her eyes narrowing, "My boobs have gotten bigger, I've got a baby bump…nothing fits. I have nothing to wear…so…I'm not going," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Baby, c'mon. This is a big deal for Kara. She's 30 now, married with four kids and another one about to drop. She's been through a lot over the past two years, she needs our support, our love," Derek stepped closer to Penelope and took her face in his hands, "Besides, you're growing and carrying our child in there, there's a reason that nothing fits. Don't be sad about that, be happy and excited about that. You're still beautiful and if anything, you're sexier now than you've ever been," he said kissing her lovingly on the lips and then on the forehead.

"Awww, Derek, you're so sweet," Penelope said, smiling softly. The couple kissed again, Penelope undoing Derek's tie as they heard the doorbell.

"Dammit!" Derek groaned. "Who the hell is that?"

Penelope laughed and shrugging she pushed Derek towards the door. Derek kissed her once more on her forehead, leaving her to finally get dressed and hurried down the stairs to the front door, his hands quickly redoing his tie. Looking through the peephole, he smiled as he opened the door. "Hey Apple Head! Coming to make sure that we were still coming to your party?" he teased as he hugged Kara who at 8 months of pregnancy barely had a noticeable pregnancy belly. Kara walked in, the turquoise velvet and satin, knee-length dress swirling around her. She was still wearing heels, her hair curled and swept up in an elegant up-do. Smiling she looked around.

"Where's P?" she asked.

"Upstairs getting ready, she was a little frustrated that nothing fit," Derek said, his voice amused.

Kara looked at him, her eyes narrowing, "Not funny, D. You have no idea what it feels like to love something that is for all intents and purposes almost like a parasite. It feeds off of what you eat, it grows within you, making your clothes not fit," Kara shook her head, "And the crazy thing is that you go through hours and hours of pain to bring it into the world and then you end up loving it like crazy." Kara laughed, "I love my babies and I love this one that I'm carrying, but I can't wait to fit back into my bikini." She began walking towards the stairs, climbing them one at a time.

"You could probably still fit into your bikini," Derek noted, laughing hard at Kara's picture of pregnancy.

"Aaron said the same thing. You all just think that I'm really thin because the last time I was pregnant I was so huge, but no, I totally have a one-piece body right now," Kara said, her voice fading as she walked up the stairs, holding onto the stair railing with one hand and a bag with the other. Derek shook his head as he watched her walk into the bedroom. It had been four months since Kara's ordeal with Karl and she had taken a week off to recuperate, Hotch telling the team that she'd spent the entire week helping out at the group home that she, Prentiss, JJ, and Penelope had started together. She'd taken the kids, and then she'd started sketching and had even gone to a store and recorded a song that she'd played for everyone. They were calling her "Superwoman" around the office. It was a title that she'd waved off as she came back to work. They'd watched her carefully to see if she'd have any type of relapse or emotional reaction, but she'd been back on her game and better than ever. Derek heard Penelope's squeal of joy and smiled. Minutes later he watched as Kara walked back down the stairs, a huge smile of joy on her face. She walked past him and touched the side of his face before continuing out the door. Derek shook his head with an indulgent smile on his face and looked up the stairs at his pregnant wife who was standing at the top of the stairs. His mouth dropped open in shock, Penelope had on a bright blue dress that had an empire waist on it, hugging her bosom in cotton material and flowing down in layers of chiffon overlay. Her hair was pulled into a gorgeous chignon at the back of her head and on her feet were a pair of blue tennis shoes with the word "Pen" placed on the sides in gemstones, she was glowing.

"Oh my god Baby Girl, you are so beautiful," Derek breathed.

Penelope laughed in delight, "Your cousin is an all-knowing angel. She walked in the room and poured out clothes and shoes on the bed and told me that I could be 'bloated and beautiful' and that I would be as long as she was around," Penelope grinned, "I don't know how she got my size right, but that bag had enough clothes for me now and for the rest of the pregnancy."

Derek grinned at that, "She's cool when she wants to be."

Penelope grabbed her bag from where it hung on the wall, "She's cool always, Mr. Morgan. And don't you forget it." She then kissed him lightly on his lips and breezed past him out the door. Shaking his head again, Derek followed her out of the door, flipping off the lights and setting the alarm before locking the door.

Kara giggled nervously as Hotch led her into the party. She hoped that he thought she was giggling from excitement. She'd been doing really well the last four months since her kidnapping, but when Hotch had blindfolded her, her heart had begun to beat rapidly in her chest. She didn't think she was having a panic attack but she did know that if the blindfold wasn't removed soon, she was going to snatch it off herself. "Ready honey?" she heard Hotch whisper in her ear.

"Completely," she responded, just before the blindfold was removed and Kara gasped at what she saw. They were in the park, but it had been completely transformed into a replica of Chicago. Kara's eyes filled with tears that she struggled to maintain. When she heard "Surprise!" Kara turned around and saw everyone that was precious to her. Her parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, her children, the BAU team with their families, Hotch's family, Derek's mom and sisters…and as her eyes traveled over each face with love, she gasped and the tears overflowed when she saw the one person that she thought she'd never see again. "Jonathan?" she breathed out before running towards him and throwing her arms around her best friend.

"Kara!" he yelled as he picked her up and spun her around.

The two friends hadn't seen each other since Kara had joined the academy, though they'd kept in touch by email and phone calls, though those phone calls were few and far in between. Having met in middle school, the two were inseparable, Jonathan having filled a void that Derek had left when he'd gone off to college. They'd gone to the same high school and had even decided to go to the same college, but then Jonathan had gone into the Marine Corps and had introduced Kara to Richard. When Richard had been killed in Iraq, Jonathan had informed Kara. She hadn't talked to him about it, she'd thanked him for telling her and had hung up the phone. After sitting there for a moment, she'd called Derek, he was just finishing up with a case where the UnSub had imitated different professions in order to capture women and drown them. He'd left straight from the BAU and had clung to her as she cried deep sobs that felt as if they were being torn from her throat. She'd cried so hard that she hadn't been able to breathe and Derek had stayed there with her through it all. He'd gone with her to the funeral, not even needing to be asked. It was then that he'd told her about Penelope for the first time. Kara's relationship with Jonathan had waned after that and while they were still close, they weren't as close as before. Jonathan hadn't been able to come to Kara and Hotch's wedding, though he'd sent a wedding gift and had sent gifts for the triplets and Jack at Christmas time. Kara hugged Jonathan a little tighter, tears streaming down her face.

"I am so glad that you made it out alive," she whispered, leaning back slightly and taking Jonathan's face in her hands, "I am so glad that you're here."

"Do you honestly think that I'd miss my best friend's 30th birthday?" Jonathan laughed, "Man, I've heard of pregnancy brain, but I didn't think it made you totally delusional."

Stepping back from Jonathan, Kara took his hand and walked him over to Hotch, "Aaron, this is my best friend in the whole wide world, Major Jonathan Simms," she introduced the two.

"Major," Hotch said a smile on his face, "It's nice to finally meet you face to face. Thanks for showing up." The two men shook hands and then Kara took Jonathan around and introduced him to everyone.

Hotch walked over to Derek and accepted the beer that he handed him. "I'm glad to see her with a genuine smile on her face, they've been hesitant over the last few months," he admitted.

"Yeah, I noticed that. But then again, it's to be expected you know?" Derek said smiling as he watched Kara introduce Jonathan to her one-year old triplets.

"Yeah, you're right," Hotch agreed. He watched as Kara squeezed Jonathan's arm and then smiled up at him. He ignored the prickling heat of jealousy and suspicion that slithered down his spine.

"You know, we all thought that Kara and Jonathan would end up getting married one day, but she said that they had never had any type of physical chemistry between them. We didn't believe her at first, but when you watch them together, there's no type of sexual tension between them at all. They are just truly platonic friends, it's very cool," Derek said, his gaze focused on Kara and Jonathan, but his words soothing Hotch's jealousy.

"Thanks," Hotch whispered, patting Derek on the back and walking over to where Kara stood. She turned to him and threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately. The crowd "oohed" as they watch them kiss and then clapped as they hugged again.

"Thank you for my party baby. Thank you for bringing me Chicago and Jonathan…I love you so much," Kara said, her eyes filling with tears as she smiled up at Hotch.

"Anything for you baby, anything for you," Hotch assured her, just before Penelope appeared followed by the catering staff and the cake decorator. Kara gasped as she saw that the cake was four tiered with small miniature versions of herself. One of her in FBI bullet-proof vest, black shirt, and black pants. Another one on the second tier of her pregnant, the third tier held one of her with a microphone in her hand and wearing an apron that made her laugh, and on the top tier, there was a miniature Kara in Superwoman attire, a little red cape flying behind her as she stood with her hands on her hips. Kara laughed in delight as she admired the cake. Turning she looked at Penelope, who she knew had to have had the cake made.

"I told you that you were Superwoman," Penelope grinned. Kara walked over and hugged her tightly. "Thanks Pen," she whispered in her ear. Kara had talked to Penelope about the kidnapping, the two women bonding over chocolate ice cream and pickles. Penelope knew that Kara needed to be reminded about how amazing she was and she knew that the best time to do that was at her birthday party. As the two women stepped back from the hug, laughing because their pregnancy bellies had prevented them from getting too close, they smiled and wiped the tears from their eyes.

The party took off in full-swing then. Tables were brought out and chairs set up. A karaoke station was placed right in front and as everyone took turns singing for the group, the others ate their food. It wasn't too long after that presents were brought in and Kara began to open them one by one. She opened each one with excitement and the one from Jack with a modicum of nostalgia. He'd gone to spend the weekend with Hayley's family and Kara missed him terribly. Opening the picture frame that held a picture of the two of them on his birthday, Kara smiled.

When it was time for the party to end, Kara sighed with contentment. She nodded at her parents who told her that they were taking the triplets to the car. Smiling gently at everyone as they trooped past her, Kara's bones felt heavy.

"Hey there Kay-Kay, what's wrong?" Jonathan asked coming to flop down in the chair next to her.

Kara laughed, "It's been so long since anyone's called me that. I kinda missed it," she confessed. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just extremely tired," she yawned widely.

"Yeah, you look it," Jonathan said looking into Kara's face and shaking his head regretfully.

"Shut up Jon!" Kara laughed, smacking Jonathan's arm.

"Want me to carry you to the car like I used to do back in high school?" Jonathan asked reminding Kara of the college parties that they used to sneak into as seniors in high school.

Smiling brightly Kara responded with, "I don't think Aaron would appreciate that very much," as she watched the topic of her conversation walked by with her presents.

"Yeah, probably not," Jonathan chuckled, after a few moments of silence he asked, "So Kara, why him? What made you decide that he was the one that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with and have babies from?"

Kara turned to look at him, "Aaron is amazing Jon. He's strong, intelligent, loyal, versatile, he's got a great sense of humor if you catch him at the right time, he's got this brooding personality that completely disappears when we walk in the door at home. He's a great father, he's passionate, he romantic, he's loving, he listens to me when I talk and he hears everything that I say. He understands me, he's gorgeous, he's survived some of the most horrific things in the world and he can still smile, he loves me, I trust him implicitly and well…" Kara shrugged.

"I'm not all of those things?" Jonathan asked, his gaze focused on his hands and not on Kara.

"What?" Kara questioned, stunned by Jonathan's question.

"You don't think I'm all of those things?" Jonathan asked again.

"Well, yeah…I do, I mean you are," Kara stammered out, confused at this change in conversation.

"Then why not me?" Jonathan whispered, finally looking up into Kara's face.

"What?" Kara gasped out.

"I always thought we were going to end up together. I wanted to give you time to get over Richard's death and then I wanted to give you time to establish yourself as Head Agent in the Chicago office, but I knew that my tour of duty was coming to an end and I always thought that I'd come home to Chi-Town and you'd be waiting for me. I've loved you since junior year of high school Kara," Jonathan confessed, running his right hand over his bald head. He closed his eyes on a sigh and then opened them back up and looked into Kara's stunned face, his grey eyes filling with tears. "So why not me Kara? Why him and not me?" his question a plea.

Kara was saved from having to answer when Hotch walked up, a smile on his face. "So Major, did you drive over or can we drop you off somewhere? I think we may have a little bit of space left in the SUV," he questioned, his voice friendly.

Kara didn't know where to look, her head was spinning and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her best friend was in love with her? How did she not know that? All she heard was a whooshing sound in her ears as she tried to make sense of it all, looking up at Hotch, she realized that he'd probably been saying her name for quite some time.

"I'm sorry, what did you say Baby?" she asked, refusing to gauge Jonathan's reaction to her use of the pet name.

"You must really be tired. I asked you if you and Jonathan needed some more time to say goodbye? He said he drove and that he was staying with your parents, so he doesn't need a ride," Hotch said smiling at Kara.

"Um…no, Jonathan and I have done quite a bit of talking already tonight, we're done," Kara said firmly. She nodded at Jonathan in a regal manner, ignoring Hotch's look of surprise, "Jonathan, I guess I'll talk to you later," she hesitated, then patting him on the shoulder she turned to walk away. Consciously aware that Hotch followed right behind her. She waved at her parents who'd been watching over the triplets in the car and kissing them both goodbye she climbed in the car. When Hotch got in, she stopped him before he could say anything, "I don't want to talk about it right now, I just found out something about Jonathan that he should've told me about back in high school. I'll tell you about it later, just…not right now."

Hotch nodded and drove his family home, his mind moving quickly over possible scenarios. Figuring that Jonathan had probably just told Kara that he was homosexual, Hotch quickly put the situation from his mind and began to talk to Kara about her next doctor's appointment.

_The Next Day_

Kara was still in shock as she walked into the doctor's office with Penelope. She'd been unusually quiet, Penelope thinking that it was due to the party the night before, so she'd kept up a steady stream of chatter in the car on the way over, but she was beginning to worry. Kara was known for being a talker, it's what she did better than anything else, better than singing, cooking, painting, being a mother or even being an agent, Kara was an excellent talker, so for her to not talk, was a miracle…or a disaster. "Hey there Baby Doll, you okay?" Penelope inquired.

Blinking her eyes, Kara focused her gaze on Penelope's face, experiencing a strong case of verbal vomit, she spit out, "Jonathan told me last night that he's loved me since junior year of high school and that he thought we were going to be together when he got out of the service and he asked me why I chose Aaron and not him and now I can't stop thinking about the fact that my best friend is in love with me." The words sprang forth so rapidly from Kara's mouth that they ran together.

Penelope gasped from where she reclined on the hospital bed, sitting up quickly, she practically yelled, "WHAT?!"

Kara was saved from having to repeat her revelation as the doctor walked in. Asking Penelope some questions, he prepared her for her first sonogram.

"I wish Derek could've been here," Penelope sighed, holding onto Kara's hand.

"Yeah, me too, damn Strauss for making him come in to report about that last case," Kara agreed, knowing that the first sonogram was a very special occasion for expectant parents to share.

As the whooshing and whirring sounds of the sonogram were heard, they were soon overcome by the sound of a heartbeat…or two.

"I'm sorry what?" Penelope squeaked out as she looked at the doctor in shock.

"I said that you're having twins, Mrs. Morgan," the doctor said smiling. As Penelope groaned, Kara exploded into laughter.

"Damn you Morgans and your fertility," Penelope said as she slowly began to smile, "I was freaking out about one and now I'm having two?"

"Hey, I had three the first time, you don't get to complain," Kara reminded her, a smile still evident in her voice. The two women smiled at each other and the doctor finished with the exam. As they walked out, they stopped at the front desk to get the "Do's and Don'ts of Pregnancy" from the receptionist and walked back out to the car.

"You know I thought something was up. I mean you're five months along and you look like you're eight," Kara said smiling as she got into the passenger's side of Penelope's car, "Just think, if you and Derek had listened to me, you would've known this two months ago! Now you only have a few months to try to get everything that you need." Kara was back to being her talkative self, her own troubles having been swept away in the tide of Derek and Penelope's joy.

"Twins! Pen! Wow!! I can't WAIT for Derek to find out!!" Kara said as they pulled up to Derek and Penelope's house. They noticed Derek's truck in the driveway and as he came bounding out of the house, they climbed out smiling. Kara stood to the side as Penelope showed Derek the picture of their babies, standing in shock for a moment, Derek gave out a yell of happiness and picked up Penelope, kissing her as he cradled her in his arms. He looked over at Kara who merely smiled at him.

"Congratulations cuz," she grinned, "You and Pen go and celebrate, we'll throw you a 'Congratulations' party at our house this weekend. Go, I'll talk to you later." Walking over she kissed them both on the cheek.

"Kara? Did you still need to talk about that situation?" Penelope asked as Derek lowered her to her feet, referring to Jonathan's declaration of love to Kara.

"No, I'll figure it out, thanks though. Enjoy your evening you two," Kara said smiling at both of them again as she climbed into her car and then drove off.

"What situation?" Derek asked as he placed his hand over Penelope's stomach and kissed her temple repeatedly.

"Just something to do with Jonathan," Penelope answered vaguely.

"Don't tell me he's still in love with her," Derek asked incredulously.

Penelope gasped and looked at Derek, "You knew?" she asked in shock.

"Of course I did. He signed up for everything that she did. He was the dance partner that got hurt when she was younger. He took her to every dance when she didn't have a boyfriend. He went to every recital. He was always around," Derek revealed. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued, "Kara never saw him in that way and we all knew that he would never push the issue as long as she kept in that friend bubble. I guess we all just thought he'd move on."

"We?" Penelope asked as she sat down on the couch, placing her feet up on the coffee table. Derek sat next to her and placed her feet in his lap, causing her to turn and lay back with her head on the armrest.

"The family," Derek explained.

"You all knew and no one told Kara?" Penelope asked in amazement.

"It wasn't our place. We may be nosey, but we aren't intrusive or too revealing unless we think it's going to benefit the family member. We all knew that if it came from us, it would do nothing but cause problems, so we kept quiet, which wasn't easy for Desiree and Sarah," Derek laughed. "But enough about Kara, Jonathan, Hotch and their love triangle. Kara will figure out what to do. Let's talk about baby names. What do you think about the names, Shemar and Franklin if they're boys?"

Kara panted as she clutched the steering wheel in a death grip. She was strong she could do it. Pressing a little harder on the gas pedal, Kara eventually had to pull over as another contraction gripped her. "Why the hell can't my children wait the full nine months before they decide that they want to be born?" she gritted out between clenched teeth to the empty vehicle as she pulled over to the side of the road. Pulling out her cell phone she pressed Hotch on the speed dial.

"Hey baby! Where are you? The kids have been asking for their mommy," Hotch answered the phone a smile heard on his face.

Kara attempted to respond but another contraction gripped her, "UUUGGGGHHH!!!" she groaned out.

"ARE YOU IN LABOR?!" Hotch yelled out.

"Y-y-yes!" Kara groaned out.

"Where are you?" Hotch asked as he moved quickly around the room, grabbing the kids' shoes and putting them on them, opening the door and ushering them out.

Kara sighed and pulled back onto the road, "I'm right outside of the hospital. I'll meet you inside and can you call my parents?" she asked as she pulled quickly into a spot.

"Of course honey, I'll see you in a little while," Hotch panted out as he dashed back into the house and opened the hall closet and pulled out Kara's hospital bag. Thank God his wife was always prepared. Racing out the door, he barely remembered to set the alarm and lock the door before he jumped into the car, quickly rechecking the twins in their car seats and sped off towards the hospital calling Kara's parents, Derek and Penelope, and the rest of the BAU team, telling them to meet him at the hospital. Leave it to Kara, every time that she'd gone into labor it had been in a totally inappropriate or difficult place, making her ride to the hospital all the more exciting.

"This is why your mommy keeps daddy young," Hotch said to his children and laughed when they all clapped as if in agreement.

_Six Hours Later_

Judith Garland Hotchner was born perfectly health will a full head of hair. Her lungs worked very well as she screamed as soon as she was completely out of her mother's womb. She didn't stop screaming until she had been cleaned, weighed, foot printed and wrapped in a pink blanket and placed in her mother's arms. Kara sighed happily, her hair plastered to her forehead. "Hello my little star," Kara whispered smiling. Judith's eyes struggled to focus on the beautiful, sweaty, panting woman before her, her head swinging around when she heard a deep voice say, "Judy Garland honey?"

"She was conceived right after we had that Judy Garland marathon week, remember? It seemed appropriate," Kara murmured as she ran her fingertips over the newborn's hands.

"Whatever you want honey. Judy is beautiful," Hotch conceded as he leaned forward to kiss his daughter's head.

Judith felt her eyes growing heavier and struggled to fight the darkness pulling her under, she lost the battle when the beautiful lady began to sing. She sounded like an angel and it wasn't long before Judith closed her eyes to sleep.

Kara smiled at the sleeping baby. "She's so precious," she sighed to Hotch looking up at him.

"I will never tire of hearing you sing to our children or watching you give birth to them," was his reply. The new parents kissed each other tenderly before gazing back at the newest member of their family.

Out in the waiting room family and friends waited to meet the newest member of their small little community and family, but they would have to wait, the new parents were too busy bonding with their newest little addition.

"_Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit."-Elbert Hubbard_

_*A/N: So what do you guys think about Jonathan? I brought him in to stir up a little drama. And can we all welcome Judith "Judy" Garland Hotchner? I think that now that the trips are getting older and so is Jack, that we'll start getting them involved and letting their thoughts be known, what do you guys think? And how about Derek and Penelope expecting twins? Those damn Morgans and their superior fertility! LOL. I look forward to your reviews. I'm going to start hammering out a very special Christmas chapter, so I'll be building up towards that. Enjoy and review, plz! __J_


	22. Getting Rid of Hotch

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_True love always makes a man better, no matter what woman inspires it"-Alexandre Dumas Père_

Judith Garland Hotchner was probably one of the most beautiful babies ever born. Yes, her sisters Emerald Marie and Elizabeth Mary were beautiful, but there was something special about Judith, she had a tiny baby mole at the corner of her left eye and her full plump lips along with her golden hazel eyes made her remarkably beautiful even at four days old. She looked up at her mother who was cooing and bathing her and smiled when she crossed her eyes at her. She was silly. Hearing her father's voice she began kicking her legs in excitement, she loved her mom, but she was totally going to be a daddy's girl. She watched as her father's face came into view, he kissed her mother deeply and then scooped her up from the baby bath and twirled around with her, ignoring her mother's protests. She watched as her oldest brother Jack came into the room, asking about dinner, followed by her other siblings, who all toddled in, holding hands. She watched as her mother kissed all four of them, telling them dinner would be ready soon. She could feel the love in the room, it wrapped around her like a blanket and in her father's arms, covered in a bath towel, she fell asleep.

Hotch smiled down at "Baby Judy" as her eyes closed in slumber. "She is such a good baby already, she went right to sleep," he said in wonder to Kara as she picked up A.J. who had run into the corner of the door and began to whimper.

Smiling, Kara said, "Well, it's a little trick that my aunt Fran said used to work for me. Apparently, I loved being clean, so they would bathe me and I would be so happy that I would just fall asleep." She kissed A.J. on the forehead as he laid his head on her shoulder, happy to be held by his mother.

"Mom, what's for dinner?" Jack asked as he held Emie's and Liz's hands and helped them down the stairs.

"Hhmm…" Kara thought, then getting an idea she said, "How about a potluck? We could call Grandma Mary and Grandpa Travin, Uncle Derek and Aunt Pen, Aunt Emily, Uncles Rossi and Spencer, and Aunt JJ and Uncle Will."

"Yay!!!" Jack said.

"What about Jonathan?" Hotch asked innocently as the family walked into the family room to sit down as Kara began making phone calls.

Kara opened her mouth to respond when her father picked up the phone, interrupting her response to Hotch, "Hey Daddy! Hey I know this is short notice, but since dinner is like two hours away, I wondered if you and Mommy," looking at Hotch, she added, "And Jonathan would want to come over for a potluck dinner? And maybe Mommy can make her sweet potato casserole?" Listening to her father talk to her mother and the response, Kara smiled, "Okay Daddy! That's great! We'll see you in two hours." Kara finished her calls to everyone, finding out that Emily's boyfriend Jacob was in town as was Spencer's girlfriend, former agent Elle. Inviting them as well, she assured everyone that she would be making her infamous Chicken Rigatoni and making Tiramisu for dessert, and asked them all for different dishes. Fifteen minutes later, everyone had said yes and the Hotchner family began setting up for their "family" to arrive.

Kara stood in the kitchen cooking, "Baby Judy" fast asleep in what Hotch affectionately called "The Baby Holster", her head resting against her mother's chest. As Kara cooked, her mind raced. She still had not figured out what to do about the whole "Jonathan being in love with her" thing. Sighing dejectedly, Kara put the lid on top of the Chicken Rigatoni and began making the Tiramisu.

"What was that sigh all about?" Hotch asked from the doorway where he stood, with Jack hanging onto his back, the triplets laughing and crawling in between his legs and around his feet.

Turning, Kara smiled, "Nothing, just thinking about stuff." She watched as Hotch flipped Jack over his shoulder and tickled each one of the triplets. "You're such an amazing father, Aaron," she said and watched as his head came up and he looked at her.

"Why thanks Babe," he smiled at her, "You're a pretty fantastic mother as well."

Kara nodded her head and turned to finish making the Tiramisu, sniffling silently as tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt as Hotch's arms came around her waist and he kissed her shoulder, "What's wrong honey?" he whispered in her ear.

Kara shook her head and whispered back, "Nothing." Finishing with the Tiramisu, she sat it to the side and turned to look at him, "I'm just so happy and I love you so much. I guess it just made me a little emotional," she explained, shrugging.

"Are you sure that's all?" Hotch asked looking her deep in her eyes.

"Don't profile me Aaron," Kara stated rolling her eyes and pushing past him began to walk away. Hotch grabbed her hand before she had the opportunity to walk past him.

"I'm sorry baby," he apologized, pulling her close to him and kissing her softly on her lips, "You just seem sad. I can't stand to see you sad or see you cry, it tears me up inside. If something's wrong, please tell me."

Kara looked into Hotch's eyes, she knew that she should trust him with the knowledge that Jonathan loved her, but she had to admit that she didn't want to lose her best friend. Sighing, she closed her eyes and shook her head, "I really was thinking about you're such a great father, Aaron, I got sad because I thought about how my life would've been if you and I weren't together. It's a very depressing thought," she said as she laid her head on his chest.

Chuckling softly, Hotch responded with, "You won't ever have to worry about that sweetheart, you are stuck with me for the rest of your life." Kara began giggling as Hotch began kissing her neck and behind her ear, her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her chin and her lips.

"Daddy! What are you doing?" Jack asked, pausing in coloring on his "Jack wall" in the kitchen, a special wall that Kara had designated as a place for Jack to express himself artistically by drawing, coloring, or painting on it after she had discovered that Jack had amazing artistic talent at his young age.

"I'm loving Mommy," Hotch explained.

"Oh!" Jack said, turning back to his wall.

"Ooohhh!" Emie echoed Jack, as she always did.

Liz and A.J. merely giggled as they rolled a ball back and forth between each other.

"Well, I'm loving you too, Daddy," Kara laughed, returning Hotch's kisses.

"Damn, why is it every time we come over, you two are like making out?" Derek laughed as he and a very pregnant Penelope stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Derek! Language!!" Kara admonished, turning towards him, Hotch's arm still around her waist as he kissed her temple.

"Ooohhh, Uncle Derek said a bad word Mommy!" Jack said, shaking his head mournfully.

"I'm sorry, Little Man," Derek apologized, lowering his head in mock shame.

"Don't tell me, you gotta put five dollars in the swear jar because you said the d-word," Jack dictated, pointing to the swear jar that sat on the counter. Derek looked at the jar and burst out laughing as he saw twenty and fifty dollar bills in the jar.

"Twenty dollar bills?" he asked.

"The s-word," Hotch explained, smiling, "One of my favorites."

"And the fifty dollar bills?" Penelope inquired.

"The f-word. My favorite," Kara shrugged.

"Mom says the f-word ALL the time," Jack shook his head in disappointment, "But she said that every time she says it, she's helping to pay for my college education. Whatever that means."

The adults in the room laughed at Jack's declaration and watched as Derek walked over and stuck a hundred dollar bill in the jar.

"Uncle Derek! You put in a hundred dollar bill, not a five," Jack stated from where he stood directly behind Derek.

"Just planning ahead, squirt. I might say more bad words," Derek explained.

"Where am I putting this dish?" Penelope asked as she smiled at A.J. who had toddled over to kiss her knee.

"Mmmm, macaroni and cheese," Kara groaned out in pleasure, "You can put it on the table. Aaron, can you grab the Chicken Rigatoni?"

"I'm on it babe," Hotch said.

The doorbell rang then and walking to the door to open it, Kara admitted Prentiss, Jacob, Reid, Elle, JJ, Will, and Henry. "Hey you guys! What did you do, all ride together?" Kara laughed as she stepped aside to let them in.

"No, we all just showed up within moments of each other," Elle smiled, handing Kara her jacket.

"Elle, she's got Judy," Reid admonished as he retrieved the jacket from Kara's hand.

Laughing, "It's okay Reid, Judy's asleep," she remarked a little too soon, because Judith chose that moment to wake up. Yawning widely, the newborn looked up at her mother and grinned. "Well, hello beautiful," Kara whispered, her hand at the back of Judith's head, "Did you have a nice nap? Your family's here to see you." Looking up, Kara found herself being watched by everyone, Hotch with a camera in his hand. "What?" she asked, confused.

"That was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Prentiss breathed out, her hand unconsciously drifting to her abdomen as if a baby waited there.

"Everything that Kara does is beautiful," a voice said from the open doorway.

"Jonathan! Mom, Dad!" Hotch called out in greeting.

Kara's head swung in the direction of the door, stepping back unconsciously as Jonathan walked through the door she gave a small, tremulous smile as he walked by. She stepped forward to hug her parents as they came in, taking the opportunity to gather her wits. "Well, everyone you can bring your dishes into the dining room, Jack has been anxiously awaiting dinner, so let's eat!" Kara said laughing as Jack gave a shout of happiness. As the adults trooped into the dining room, Hotch leading the way holding Liz and Emie in his arms, A.J. in the arms of his godfather, Derek, Kara felt a hand grabbing her arm and pulling her back into the hallway. Looking up she found herself trapped in between the arms of Jonathan.

"Are you ever going to talk to me again?" he asked looking down into her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kara replied looking over his shoulder.

"Yes you do or you wouldn't be looking everywhere else except my face," Jonathan sighed, "C'mon Kay-Kay, you've never had a problem staring me down before, don't start now."

At the sound of his nickname for her, Kara felt an anger explode in her chest, pushing him away she called out, "Aaron!" When Hotch stepped out into the hallway she handed took off "The Baby Holster" and passed Judith to him. "Can you take Judy for me please? And tell everyone to go ahead and start dinner, Jonathan and I need to talk really quickly and then we'll be in," she requested, her smile forced.

Looking back and forth between the two friends, Hotch sensed tension between them, taking Judith, he looked at his wife and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Shaking her head and lowering it just a bit, "It will be," she answered, smiling at him affectionately before looking at Jonathan and pointing out the door. Kara knew that she'd be spending the night explaining everything to Hotch, but right now she had to explain some things to Jonathan. Closing the door behind her, she walked down the steps at the front of the house, knowing that Jonathan was following her and walked around the side of the house. Stopping halfway around the house, Kara turned, her eyes filled with fury and exploded, "You had no right! No right to come back into my life and drop this bombshell on me! We've been best friends FOREVER and now you want to tell me that you love me? What the hell is wrong with you? I'm happy, happier than I've ever been, I'm married to the most amazing man in the world, who loves me unconditionally, I have five, beautiful, healthy kids, a career that I love, my dream home, my parents live nearby, Derek and I are working together…I do not want or need you coming here and stirring up trouble! So you either go back to being my best friend and forget whatever it is you THINK that you feel for me or you forget me. And until you make that decision, you don't have my permission to call me Kay-Kay." Kara's hands had been moving rapidly in anger and they now landed on her hips, her chest heaving from exertion.

"Okay, now it's my turn. I didn't tell you what I told you to ruin your life or to stir up trouble. I told you what I told you because I felt like you deserved to have all of the information on hand and available. I know you think you're happy, but if you were really happy and you really trusted your husband you would've told him about our conversation," Jonathan began, Kara interrupted him, "I am happy! I do trust my husband, regardless of what you may think, I didn't tell my husband about our conversation not because I don't trust him, but because of OUR friendship, Aaron would beat the hell out of you or kick you out of my life if he knew that you thought you were in love with me."

"Oh, I know it," Jonathan said stepping close to her, "I love you Kara. That feeling has never stopped for me," he whispered, bending his head down towards hers.

"But it never began for me," Kara stated, her voice soft and filled with sadness and regret. Her friendship with Jonathan was over. She knew that now. She could never trust him to be alone with her, could never trust HIM. Jonathan's head stopped and his eyes opened, as he focused on her Kara continued, "I am flattered that you fell in love with me back in high school and that you held onto and nurtured that feeling all these years, but I never gave you any inclination or encouragement that we would ever be anything more than just friends. And while you seem determined to try to start a romantic relationship with me regardless of the fact that I am married with children, I am just as determined to remain true to my marriage, my husband, my vows, my children, my love for my husband, and myself. C'mon Jonathan, the girl you fell in love with would never cheat. Infidelity does not run in my family, in spite of the reputation my cousin Derek has put out. I love you as a dear friend and nothing more, I always have and that will never change, but I love my husband enough that I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Tell my parents goodbye and go back to Chicago, find a woman there whom you can love who is free and willing to love you back, because while you feel something romantic for me, I don't feel that way towards you."

Shaking his head, Jonathan leaned down and crushed his lips with Kara's. She didn't kiss him back and she didn't fight him and while his heart pounded in his chest he knew that she was unmoved by it. Pulling back he stared at her, "I always thought…" he whispered.

"I never did," Kara whispered also, stepping away from Jonathan aware that Hotch was standing close by somewhere. "I hope that kiss was worth our friendship Jonathan," she stated as he began walking away.

Without turning around Jonathan stopped and replied, "I had to know." Looking over his shoulder he gave a small smile, "I'll walk down to your parents' house and leave tonight. It was nice seeing you again, Kay-…Kara," he said sadly.

"Goodbye Jonathan," Kara stated firmly, letting him know in no uncertain terms that the close friendship that they'd shared was irreparable, they would talk every so often but they would never go back.

"Goodbye Kara," Jonathan murmured as he walked away.

Kara watched him for a moment, tears flowing down her cheeks, "You can come out now Aaron," she said aloud after a few minutes. Turning as she saw Aaron walk from around the back of the house. He walked up to her, his eyes searching her face.

"Was this what made you sad earlier today? Why you didn't initially want to invite Jonathan over?" he asked. Kara nodded her head, the tears flowing in abundance now, "You were scared I was going to kick his ass?" Again, Kara nodded. "You were afraid that I'd order you to not see him again?" Again, that nod. "And maybe, you were afraid that I'd get mad at you?" At that question Kara bit her lip and thought, then realizing his question, which was much more of a statement than a inquiry, was true, nodding her head, she gasped softly when Hotch grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug.

"I wasn't lying when I told you that you were stuck with me for life. I'd be a stupid, stupid man if I got mad at you for every man that wants to be with you. I was hurt when I heard that you'd kept something from me, but I understand now. It's okay honey," Hotch said, his lips pressed against her forehead.

"I love you so much Aaron," Kara said, sniffling again.

"You better because I love you too," Hotch chuckled. The couple kissed softly on the lips and walked back into the house. When they walked into the dining room, arms around each other, all conversation stopped. Kara knew then that an explanation was needed. Turning to her parents she smiled tearfully, "Um…Jonathan decided not to stay. He went back to your house to get his clothes and his car and then he was going to go back to Chicago. He told me to tell you thank you for your hospitality and goodbye." Kara watched as her parents glanced at each other then at Derek before looking at her and nodding their heads.

"You know, that Jonathan is a nice young man, always looked after our Kara when Derek wasn't around," Kara's father, Travin, began speaking, "But you know what? Kara is a woman now, doesn't need much looking after, and what she does need, seems like Aaron is doing a great job of giving it to her. Sometimes you have to say goodbye to those old friendships and relationships once you've outgrown them and there's no longer a need for them."

Everyone in the room agreed and Kara knew then that her parents and Derek had known about Jonathan's "feelings" for her and hadn't told her. She shook her head in amazement, the Morgans had kept a secret about someone being in love with someone else? Either they were getting better about staying out of people's business or they didn't think that Jonathan was right for her. Either way, Kara just smiled and said, "Amen, Daddy."

The group laughed and as Kara and Hotch sat and fixed themselves a plate, Kara checking on Judith who lay in her layette in the corner, she realized that her father was giving her his reassurance that he felt that she'd made the right decision. Smiling at her parents and then at Hotch, Kara began eating.

Derek followed around behind Penelope as she waddled around the store. "Honey, I'm pretty sure that anything that we buy for Hotch and Kara they will be happy with," he sighed in exhaustion. They had been shopping for three hours, trying to do their last minute Christmas shopping. Kara and Hotch were the last ones on their list and Penelope was having the hardest time deciding what to buy them.

"I know that, which is why I have to get them something that will take their breath away. They've had a good year, but they've had a hard year, what with Karl and then the whole Jonathan thing…they need something to make them smile," Penelope stated, her voice traveling back to Derek on a wind as she waddled away from him. At eight months, Penelope was a whirlwind of energy, having fully come into that Morgan trait. Turning around she smiled, her eyes full of excitement, "We should pay for them to go on vacation!" she said.

"Honey, this is Hotch and Kara we're talking about here. Hotch doesn't really do vacations and Kara is a new mother, she's probably forgotten what a vacation is," Derek paused, "Which is why a vacation would be perfect. But not just for them, for the whole family."

"Where?" Penelope asked as she waddled out of the store, Derek happily followed, glad to be heading towards the car.

"How about Vegas?" Derek teased, his laughter stopping when Penelope turned to glare at him, "Okay, how about to the Florida Keys? They could go to the beach and everything." Derek put their shopping bags in the backseat since the trunk was full and closing the door climbed into the driver's seat. He smiled as Penelope sat in the passenger seat, a sigh escaping her lips.

"The Keys are good, but how about a cruise instead? Like a Disney cruise," Penelope suggested.

"That's perfect," Derek said, about to continue talking when Penelope gasped, "What's wrong?" he asked turning to look at Penelope as he drove.

"Drive to the hospital my gorgeous husband, we're about to have our baby," Penelope gasped out as the contraction eased.

Without a word Derek pressed his gas pedal to the floor on the phone with the hospital, the doctor and then with his cousin Kara trying to get advice and direction. Walking into the hospital behind his wife, Derek found a feeling washing over him that he hated as the hospital personnel began to take over…he felt helpless. Kara ran in then and seeing the look in his eyes she grabbed him and said, "Pen needs you Derek, you have to be strong for her, see her through this, she's scared right now okay? So be her rock and for God's sakes, don't pass out!"

Derek laughed at this piece of advice and kissing Kara on the forehead he followed his wife who was now yelling in anger at everyone into the delivery room.

_"Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment."-Will Rogers _

_*A/N: Wow! Derek and Penelope are going to have a baby for Christmas! What fun! And did anyone else enjoy Kara telling off Jonathan? I did. But don't think Jonathan's gone for good…the Major will be back. The Christmas story is going up later today, whenever I get a chance to get write it and post it in between cooking. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Looking forward to your reviews!!_


	23. Christmas

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_"Christmas is the one time of the year when loving, giving, sharing, and joy is not only contagious but is also fashionable."-Veronica Victorian_

Penelope smiled down in wonder at the two gorgeous children that she held in her arms. One boy and one girl. _Thank God, _she thought, _I don't know how Kara thought she wanted to do this again, but that is it for me. I want my tubes tied, burned, removed, and buried._ Looking up she smiled at Derek who sat at the head of the hospital bed looking incredibly shocked at the idea that he was now a father.

"Did you really just give birth?" he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

"I sure hope so, because if not, the practice for the real thing was horrible," Penelope laughed softly. Her face softening as the babies stirred at the sound of their voices.

Just then the door opened and Kara stuck her head in, "Is it safe?" she teased.

Chuckling as he remembered Penelope's angry words at him during the labor, Derek nodded his head, "All clear," he said as Penelope's face turned red with embarrassment.

Kara opened the door fully and pushed in her 3-seat stroller, the triplets inside, chattering happily. Behind her walked in Hotch, holding Judith, Jack, Henry, JJ, Will, Reid and Elle, Prentiss and Jacob, Travin and Mary, Fran, Desiree, and Rossi and Lauren who had reappeared to their group. Sarah having been unable to make the trip from Chicago, was on the phone with her mother. Fran walked over and looked down at the newborn twins and burst into tears.

"Oh Derek, they are so beautiful," she blubbered, her face turning red from emotion.

Smiling, Derek said, "Yeah, we think so."

"So Morgan, you ever plan on telling us their names?" Reid asked, his arm around Elle.

"Well, this one is Shemar Troy and this beautiful little girl," Derek stated, picking up his daughter gently from her mother's arms "Is Kirsten Francine."

"Oh Derek, thank you so much for that," Fran said as she accepted her granddaughter into her arms.

"Shemar and Kirsten? Those sound like names of celebrities," Kara said laughing.

"Hey, you never know. Maybe they'll become actors in Hollywood," Derek said chuckling at the idea.

Penelope yawned as the conversation flowed over her. She couldn't believe that they had her newborn children starring in a drama series about the FBI. Their parents worked for the FBI why would they want to play agents on television? Kirsten listened as they all began discussing Christmas dinner plans.

Kara looked at Penelope with sympathy. She totally understood the exhaustion, looking over at JJ, the two women smiled. "Okay everyone, we have to let Pen and the babies get their rest. They're beautiful Derek. We'll see you all for Christmas, the doctors should release them all by then, since it's four days away," turning to everyone else Kara said, "C'mon people, move it out. Let's leave the new family to bond."

As everyone filed out, taking one last look at the twins and congratulating Derek and a now sleeping Penelope on the birth of their children, Derek watched Penelope with new eyes. "Hey, you okay?" Hotch asked stopping inside the room.

Without turning around Derek responded, "Yeah. I just…I never knew. I mean, I knew…but I just…" Derek shook his head in wonder, sure that Hotch had no idea what he was talking about.

Chucking in understanding Hotch stepped back into the room, holding a now sleeping 3 month old Judith in his arms, "You're looking at her and you're seeing her now as this amazing being who can bring forth a new life. A little person or two that is half her and half you. You're thinking about how wonderful she is, you're wondering if it's possible for you to love her any more than you already do. You're amazed that she was able to withstand the pain of delivery and you're thinking about how beautiful she is," Hotch explained, his voice filled with compassionate understanding.

Sighing in relief, Derek turned to look at Hotch, "How did you know?"

Hotch chuckled again, "I looked at Hayley the same way when she gave birth to Jack. And I look at Kara that way every single time I see her. She gave me three the first time and then she gave me this beautiful little one," Hotch said, lifting Judith slightly, "I'm sure you're thinking the same thing about Penelope. I think that's why children are so special, I don't think men would understand how amazing women really are or truly appreciate them if it wasn't for them delivering children."

"You got that right," Kara laughed as she appeared back in the doorway.

Derek laughed as Hotch jumped slightly from shock.

"Wow Mr. Agent Man, you're a little off your game aren't you?" Kara teased as she took Judith in her arms. Turning to Derek, she advised him with, "Remember how you feel right now. As these children grow it's going to be easy for you to forget the wonder of this delivery. Pen never will, so you'll have to keep reminding yourself of how wonderful your wife is." Looking at Hotch she winked, "And buying her a great 'Thank you' gift doesn't hurt either. I got a new pair of sexy boots for each baby when I had the triplets and then for Judith I got this amazing pair of waterfall diamond earrings," she said, pulling her hair back behind her ear to show off her earrings.

"Wow!" Derek breathed in admiration. "I've never seen those."

"I've never had a chance to wear them before today. We were out taking family pictures when you called, so I already had them on," Kara explained smiling.

It was then that Derek noticed that Hotch was wearing a green buttoned shirt with black pants, Judith was wearing a green dress with a red sweater over it, Kara stood there in a mid-thigh red baby doll dress with a green belt and green heels on. Kara noticed Derek's perusal of them and laughed, "Are you just noticing that the Hotchners are wearing red and green?" she asked. Derek shrugged and Hotch and Kara laughed again.

"He was a little distracted," Hotch stated still laughing.

"Well, let's go," Kara said to Hotch, rubbing the back of Judith's head as she started to stir, "Jack already asked if we were going to stay here all night looking at babies." The three adults laughed, their conversation and laughter not bothering a sleeping Penelope. Kara hugged Derek goodbye and the two men shook hands. Derek closed the door after they left and turning back to his wife he began to softly sing "Oh Holy Night."

"Derek, I love you, but please stop singing," Penelope murmured, her eyes still closed as she spoke.

Derek laughed as he climbed into bed next to his wife, their twins in their bassinets asleep.

Christmas dinner at the Hotchners was filled with laughter and joy. Presents having been exchanged beforehand. And everyone was there: Hotch's brother, Shawn and his new _wife,_ Kathryn, the two of them having eloped; Fran, Desiree and Desiree's new boyfriend, Scott, Sarah; Travin and Mary; Tanya, Demetrius, Rasheed, Rashad; Prentiss, Jacob and Prentiss's mother; Reid, his mother, his father, and Elle; JJ, Will and Henry; Rossi and Lauren, and Gideon. After dinner everyone trekked into the family room. As all of the adults sat with "Adult Egg Nog" and the children sat with hot chocolate, Travin opened a book and gathered the children around the chair that he sat in beside the fireplace. "There are two very special stories that I want to share with all of you. One is The Night Before Christmas and the other is why we celebrate Christmas in the first place." Travin and the other adults smiled as all of the children, from the eldest to the youngest all listened with excitement as "Grandpa T", as he was called by them all, began to read:

_THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMASby Clement Clarke Moore__'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the bed to see what was the to the window I flew like a flash,Tore open the shutters and threw up the moon on the breast of the new-fallen snowGave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,With a little old driver, so lively and quick,I knew in a moment it must be St. rapid than eagles his coursers they came,And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roofThe prancing and pawing of each little I drew in my head, and was turning around,Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,And he looked like a peddler just opening his eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;He had a broad face and a little round belly,That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,And laying his finger aside of his nose,And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,And away they all flew like the down of a I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."_

The children applauded as "Grandpa T" finished the story, the adults joining in soon after. "I always loved hearing you read that story Daddy," Kara said, smiling as Emie crawled up in her lap and laid her head on her chest.

"I always loved to read it to you," Travin smiled at his only daughter, his "Princess," the light of his life. He was so proud of her. She had a great career, a great marriage, and five great kids. He nodded, he and his wife were blessed indeed.

Travin wasn't the only one thinking about how blessed he was. All around the room everyone began to take stock of the year gone past and to look at all of the blessings that they had. Whether it was a new marriage, a new baby or two, a new love, falling deeper in love, or even, rediscovering a love lost, they were all extremely blessed.

"I have always loved hearing you read about the birth of Jesus, Uncle T," Derek said, as he rocked his son, Shemar in his arms.

"Oh yes, I can't wait to hear that one," Penelope agreed as she kissed the head of her daughter, Kirsten. The new parents had eased into parenthood very effortlessly, their years of experience with Henry, Jack, Emie, Liz, A.J. and even Baby Judy helping going a long way. Derek even teased that his most difficult "ward" was Kara.

Travin smiled as he was handed the Bible by Desiree and opening it to Luke, chapter 2, he began to read:

_those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told._

As Travin finished the last verse, the room was quiet. Then softly, as she stroked Emie's hair, Kara began to sing:

_Silent night, holy night_

_All is calm, all is bright_

_Round yon virgin, Mother and child_

_Holy infant so, Tender and mild_

_Sleep in Heavenly peace, Sleep in Heavenly peace._

Changing the song as the last notes of "Silent Night" faded away, Mary began singing:

_Oh Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining_

_It is the night of our dear Savior's birth_

_Long lay the world, in sin and error pining_

'_Till He appears, and the soul felt its worth_

_A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices_

_For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn_

_Fall on your knees, oh hear the angels voices_

_Oh night, divine, oh night, when Christ was born_

_Oh night, divine, oh night divine._

The room grew quiet then as everyone sat basking in the wonder and the awe that was Christmas, and then very quietly a voice was heard. Henry, who was by nature a very quiet and a very shy little boy, turned to smile at the room and said in a quiet voice, filled with authority and purpose: "Merry Christmas and God bless us all."

*_A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the special Christmas chapter. Merry Christmas my Criminal Minds fans!! I'll be back to write more stories the day after Christmas. I hope you all are GIVING and RECEIVING great gifts this year!!_

_MERRY CHRISTMAS!!_


	24. New Year, New York

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Sorry that this one is a little late in coming, but I got a Wii and two other games for Christmas, so I had to break them in and then I got hurt (yes, it happens a lot), but here you go! Thanks again!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar territory. ~G. Behn_

She couldn't breathe. She was sitting here dieing, not breathing, not moving, and they were just looking at her. Couldn't they tell that she was dieing? Didn't they care that she was going to be dead in a few minutes. Kara's eyes moved to Hotch who stood next to her with a huge smile on his face. He was the worst one of them all. Her husband. Her own stupid husband was standing there smiling at her as she died slowly.

"I'm sorry what?" she croaked out finally, turning to look back at the doctor.

Smiling, Dr. Jackson repeated herself, "I said that we can't tie your tubes because you're pregnant again."

"Yeah, I thought that's what you said," Kara grumbled. "What the hell? Damn my cursed Morgan genes," she continued mumbling to herself, completely unaware of how happy Hotch was.

"Do you know about how far along she is?" Hotch asked, his voice filled with joy.

"I would say about six weeks," Dr. Jackson estimated.

Turning to Kara, "It had to be Christmas night," Hotch stated.

"Of course it was," she smiled, her voice filled with sarcasm. In truth, she had suspected that she was pregnant for the last two weeks, but to be faced with that reality. _Dammit, I should've listened to Penelope and done it when she got hers done. I cannot believe that we're going to have six damn kids; _she thought to herself, before a feeling of joy swept through her, _I can't believe we're going to have six kids!_ She was happy now that the shock had worn off, she could admit it and as she thought back to Christmas night just six weeks earlier, it made this pregnancy seem so much more special.

**Flashback**

_Kara and Hotch had waved goodbye to Derek and Penelope as they walked to their car with their twins, Shemar and Kirsten, in their arms. They were the last to leave that night and as they drove off, Kara and Hotch had breathed a sigh of relief. "I love seeing our families, but I'm even happier to watch them leave sometimes," Kara had laughed softly. "I totally understand. Our kids were asleep long before any of them started leaving and all I could think was that I wanted them all out so that I could give you the rest of your Christmas presents," Hotch had grinned at Kara's shocked expression and taking her hand he closed the front door and led her into her art studio room. Walking in Kara didn't notice anything out of the ordinary at first. Her paintings of the triplets, Judith, Jack, and Hotch were hanging up on the wall. Her current painting of Derek, Penelope, Shemar, and Kirsten was sitting on the easel, she had been turning to ask Hotch what was the present when she saw the poster size laminate flyer advertising an art show with her as the headlining talent. Her mouth had dropped open in shock and she had turned to look at him. "You got me into an art showing?" she'd whispered. And before he could answer she had launched herself into his arms and the two of them had sunk to the floor where they'd made love among the paints, pencils, and charcoal that littered the floor. Hours later as they lay on the floor covered in paint, charcoal, and pencil marks, Kara found out that Hotch had paid for her to have a full day at the spa and that he had called a contractor and they were building a gazebo in the backyard. As Kara kissed him in joy and they slowly began to make love again, she'd known then that something amazing was about to happen._

**End of Flashback**

Kara sighed as she focused back on what Dr. Jackson was saying. "I'll see you again in about four weeks and then we can listen to the baby's heartbeat."

Kara nodded her head and smiled at Hotch, this would be good. As they finished their appointment, Kara pulled out her cell phone and called her mother.

"Hey mom," she said when Mary answered, "Just calling to give you and dad the good news. Aaron and I are pregnant again!"

After speaking to her parents and receiving their congratulations and then telling Jack and the triplets about their new baby brother or sister, Kara began calling the members of the BAU as she and Hotch walked out to the car. She even laughed as Penelope teased her about how she should have gotten her tubes tied earlier. The Hotchners surprising news was met with joy and well wishes from all who knew them and as they collected their children from their grandparents' house and took them home, they became even more excited about the prospect of welcoming yet another child into their home.

Kara walked into the BAU, her steps purposeful. Walking over to her desk, she sat down with a sigh and opened up the top file on her desk and began working. She smiled and nodded at Prentiss as she walked in and sat at her desk. Kara enjoyed working across from Prentiss, especially when they talked about how Derek used to sit at the same desk that Kara currently sat at and how he liked to tease people.

"So how are you doing today?" Prentiss asked as she leaned back in her chair.

Chuckling, Kara shook her head and smiled, "Let's see, Aaron got up and left about twenty minutes before I did, because I was chasing Emie and Liz around the house trying to get their shoes on. He smiled at me, gave me a kiss and told me that he'd see me in the office. So I had to pack up all five kids, drop them off at my parents' house and then come into work. I got stopped at every red light between our subdivision and here, then I got distracted by a text message from Penelope and missed my exit," Kara laughed heartily, "I'm just having one of those days I guess."

Prentiss shook her head and joined in with Kara's laughter, "I can't believe Hotch just left you!"

Kara smiled, her features softening with love as she thought about her husband, "I can. Early this morning he got a phone call from New York. When he got off the phone he said that he had to rush to be at the office early. He knows that with me having to get the kids, that I was going to be running a little late. I haven't even seen him since I came into the office."

Kara and Prentiss both looked at Hotch's closed office door as if prompting him to open it. When it didn't open, they both smiled at each other and then making plans for lunch, they went back to work.

Hotch sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It didn't seem possible, but looking at the evidence it seemed as if they were dealing with a copycat. Looking up at JJ and Derek he sat back in his chair, "I don't want there to be any panic raised about this. Gather the team so that they can be briefed about the case, let them know that this case takes top priority." Shaking his head, he tried to stop the shiver of fear that raced up his spine. As JJ walked out Hotch saw Derek standing in the doorway.

"We know that he's a copycat, Hotch. George Foyett is dead. He's gone, there's no reason to worry. Besides, while I loved Hayley, Kara isn't Hayley, she can handle herself," Derek reasoned.

"I know that," Hotch defended himself.

"Well then act like it," Derek admonished him, "Don't sit in here scared and moping. And don't bench her. She's tougher than all of us." With one last nod in Hotch's direction, Derek walked out. Standing slowly, Hotch knew that Derek spoke the truth. Kara was strong, very strong, after having been through all that she'd been through, even just within the last three years, he was amazed by her strength, she was stronger than all of them, and that's what worried him the most. _The strongest ones always break the hardest, he thought to himself, his mind straying to Elle. Shaking off the depressing thought, he gathered the files from his desk and walked towards the conference room._

_Penelope sat next to Derek, her gaze focused on Hotch as he walked into the conference room and sat down. She could definitely tell that this next case was going to be a big one. Hotch had the same look on his face that Derek had on his when they were called to Chicago to help Kara years ago. Her eyes drifted over to Kara who sat at the table trying to finish up some of her reports. She didn't look troubled at all. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion and Penelope turned to look at Derek. "What's up with Hotch?" she asked her husband who was looking through his phone at pictures of the twins._

"_Wha-? Huh? Oh, it's this case…it's…hitting a little too close to home," Derek explained, as he closed his phone and focused on her. He smiled at her and she knew that the smile was forced._

"_Derek? What's wrong?" she questioned him, leaning closer as Reid walked in and sat down, a cup of coffee in his hand._

"_It's nothing Baby," Derek attempted to console her._

"_Don't patronize me, Derek Morgan," Penelope gritted through her teeth, "Hotch is family now, so you tell me what's going on!" Her voice had risen a little at the end of the sentence causing everyone to turn to look at her._

"_I think I better answer that question," Hotch said, his voice low. Rossi walked in then, closing the door behind him as everyone had arrived in the room._

"_Three people have been murdered in New York. Two women and one man, all three of different ages and different nationalities," Hotch began speaking._

"_So what's the connection?" Kara asked, without looking up from her reports._

"_The Eye of Providence was left at the crime scene of all three victims," Hotch answered, causing Kara's head to lift up._

"_The Eye of Providence? Like the one that 'The Reaper' left?" Kara inquired, her gaze now focused on the screen._

"_Yes," Hotch responded._

"_So it's a copycat," Rossi stated, very confident in the answer._

"_Obviously, George Foyett was killed years ago, there's no way that he's still alive," Prentiss stated._

"_But he has a copycat who's out there killing like him?" Kara asked, a sliver of fear creeping down her spine._

"_Yes," Hotch answered, his eyes riveted to his face._

"_Okay, so we use the same profile that you used for Foyett for this copycat to find him," Kara replied._

"_The problem with copycats is that they oftentimes attempt to be greater, thereby more horrifyingly brutal in their killings than their predecessors," Reid explained, his voice very matter-of-fact._

"_Okay, so we go to New York and we find this sonofabitch before he has an opportunity to be as evil as The Reaper," Penelope stated._

"_There's one thing," JJ interrupted, taking over for Hotch whose gaze was focused on Kara, "This copycat has left pages from a book that he's apparently writing or has written about himself and The Reaper. The pages all detail the next killing, each one a little more brutal than the last."_

"_What was on the last page that we got?" Prentiss asked._

_Without speaking, JJ clicked the remote to bring up the page on the screen. There in black and white was a detailed killing spree in Times Square, during Valentine's Day weekend, killing couples and the entire BAU team except for Kara, Penelope, Prentiss and JJ. The UnSub described in detail his plans for sexually tormenting and torturing them until they begged to be killed and then he would slowly kill them off._

"_This sick bastard is not going to pull this off," Kara said standing up from her chair, "I'm going to enjoy hunting him down and killing him before he has a chance to hunt me or my family." Turning to Hotch, "When are the wheels up?"_

"_30 minutes," Hotch said, his voice filled with awe._

"_Good," Kara nodded and then walked out the door._

"_That's some woman you've got there Hotch," Rossi said in admiration._

"_Yeah, she's something," Hotch admitted._


	25. Valentine's Day Massacre

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Sorry that this one is a little late in coming, but here you go! Thanks again!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_We do not live to think, but, on the contrary, we think in order that we may succeed in surviving."-Jose Ortega y Gasset _

As the team walked away from the jet and towards the waiting government-issued SUVs, the mood was very somber. Everyone was thinking of their last experience with The Reaper or in Kara's case, her last experience with a sociopath. No one smiled at the officers who waited for them. No one spoke, they merely climbed into the vehicles and sat and listened as they were debriefed again on the specifics of the case. Hotch found his gaze traveling constantly to Kara, who sat and listened intensely to the details given by the officer on the crime scene, the victims, and the fact that they could find no connection between them. He was worried about her. He knew that she'd called her folks and asked them to keep the kids while they were away, and he knew that she'd called his brother, Shawn, and his wife, Kathryn and asked them about joining them for dinner while they were in town, whenever they got a chance, because Shawn had sent him a text message telling him that he was extremely lucky to have found her. However, he still worried about her. She still smiled, laughed, talked, and operated as she always had, she was too much of a professional to let her own cautions and reservations hinder her work performance, but he could sense the hesitation in her every movement. She was scared. She was scared and she wasn't telling anyone. She was surrounded by profilers and was doing a damned good job at hiding her fear, but he was more than a profiler, he was her husband, and he knew her and he knew she was scared, he knew it because he was scared. He felt horribly responsible. Since Kara had returned to his life, it had been a steady stream of serial killers, kidnappings, drama, near-death experiences, and cases that made him feel as if her life would have been much better if they had not gotten together. It was always at these times that she would turn to smile at him, or come over and hug him or kiss him, or one of the twins would call his name, Judith would give a cute baby laugh, or he'd hear Kara and Jack out back bouncing the basketball. These little things always helped him to remember why he was happy that they were together and why he wouldn't trade it for the world, but as always, just as he would get comfortable, something would happen. Hotch sighed, he was really feeling as if he was getting too old for all of the ups and downs of being an agent, but he could not see himself doing anything other than profiling with the BAU team for the FBI. At the same time, he didn't think his heart, his wife, his family could take too many more life-or-death experiences, either. Hotch knew that the time was going to be coming when he no longer had a choice, when the decision would be taken away from him, but until that time he would do his job to the best of his ability. He would focus on what he had to do, he'd profile and help find this serial killer and then he'd reevaluate his life.

The team walked into the FBI office of the New York branch and directly into the back office that had been set up for them. They had to get to work and quickly, they had no idea exactly when during the Valentine's Day weekend the UnSub planned to gun people down.

"What a great way to spend Valentine's Day, huh?" Penelope sighed.

"Don't worry Baby, I'll make it up to you," Derek replied as he began to look over the files.

Kara glanced at Hotch and smiled. She knew that he was worried about her, and yes, she was scared out of her mind that this UnSub was targeting her, but she wouldn't let him know that. She couldn't let him know that. He'd bench her and she'd be stuck riding the desk with Penelope and she couldn't face that humiliation again. Kara turned back to her set of files and perused them again, looking for something, anything that would stick out or point to the identity of the UnSub. She gasped as she looked at one of the pictures.

"Kara? Are you okay? Is it the baby?" Hotch questioned, his usually stoic demeanor cracking in the face of her gasp.

Kara nodded her head and standing rushed around the table and over to Penelope. "P! Can you blow up the image in this picture?" she questioned, pointing to one of the pictures taken by the UnSub that had been sent to the police station. In the picture of the deceased woman, Keira Farrell, she lay in the middle of a pool of her own blood, her body filled with puncture wounds from the 60 stabs that she had received along with the long, jagged gash at her throat and on her neck there lay a golden locket in the shape of a heart on a gold necklace.

"I sure can angel, but what are you looking for?" Penelope asked.

"Look here," Kara pointed at the locket, "This side is smooth, there are no etchings or engravings on it, whereas the other side is probably covered in them, just like mine," Kara pulled the locket that she always wore at her neck from underneath her shirt.

"I don't think I've ever seen that," Prentiss remarked as she leaned forward to look at the necklace.

Kara smiled and looked at Derek, "Derek sent it to me when he went off to college," opening the locket she showed them the two pictures inside, "One is of the two of us when we had gone to Six Flags and the other one is a picture of me and my parents." Closing the locket after everyone had looked at it and remarked on the picture of a young 18yr old Derek, Kara pointed back to the picture of Keira, "The smooth side is so clear that it serves as a mirror, I think that if we blow up the image and clean it up a bit, we may just get a picture of our UnSub."

As the team looked at the picture, Kara's mind drifted back to the day that she'd received her locket from Derek.

**Flashback**

_Kara danced around the room to Whitney Houston's "Dance with Somebody," singing into the hairbrush that she held in her hand. She jumped on her bed and jumped around on top of the pink sheets. It was Saturday, which meant that there was no school and since it was fairly early into the school year, she didn't have any recitals or classes to go to. It was her day of freedom. Jumping off the bed, Kara slid to the middle of her bedroom floor in her socks and did a little air guitar. It would've been a lot more fun if she was playing "Jackson 5" with Sarah, Desiree and Derek but they weren't there, Derek having left for college and Kara was all alone. Kara leaned back as she belted out the end of the song, her eyes closed tightly as she sang with emotion, and falling to her knees, she ended the song, only to be startled when she heard clapping at her bedroom door. Opening her eyes, Kara saw her father standing there with the telephone in one hand._

"_Daddy!" she exclaimed as she went to turn off her stereo._

_Travin lifted the phone to his ear and said, "Yeah, she was dancing and singing. She's happy because she doesn't have any classes or recitals today." He listened to what the other person had to say for a minute and then laughing he handed the phone to Kara, "It's Derek on the phone for you," he stated._

"_Derek?" Kara asked excitedly as she took the phone from her father, clearing her throat she put on her big girl voice and answered the phone, "Go for Kara," was her response on the phone._

"_What's up Apple Head?" Derek asked amused at the tenor of Kara's greeting, "Happy that you're free today?" he questioned her._

"_You know it!" Kara replied as she walked towards her bed and flopped down on top of it, watching as her father picked up a box from the outside of her door and brought it in._

"_Did you get my present yet?" Derek inquired, his voice filled with love for his baby cousin._

"_Is it this box that my daddy's handing me?" Kara asked, all traces of her 'Big Girl' voice gone._

"_It should be," Derek guessed._

"_What is it?" Kara asked as she accepted the box and shook it gently. Smiling as her mother walked into the room to stand next to her father._

"_Open it and see," Derek suggested laughing._

"_Oh, yeah, right," Kara said, "Hold on for a second." Kara placed the phone on the bed and tore open the box. She'd never been neat when it came to opening her presents, she always made a mess. It was probably due to the fact that she was impatient and nosey. Her parents had always told her that she should consider a career in criminal investigation so she could get paid to snoop. Kara picked up the phone as she said in disappointment, "It's another box," as she held the blue velvet box in her hand._

"_Open the box, Apple Head," Derek chuckled._

_Kara opened the second box and gasped, "It's a locket! Just like the one that I said I wanted from the jewelry store!" She held up the necklace so that her parents could see it. As her mother exclaimed over how pretty it was and her father talked about how much Derek must have spent on it, Kara merely looked at it. The front had the words "To Apple Head, All My Love, Big D" written on it surrounded by a design of leaves surrounding it, and the back was smooth and empty._

"_Of course it is, you said you wanted it, so I decided to get it for you. Did you open the locket yet?" Derek questioned her._

"_Not yet," Kara answered as she opened the locket to find a picture of she and Derek from their trip to Six Flags on the inside. She felt a lump rise to her throat and tears sprang to her eyes, "It's us," she whispered into the phone._

"_Yes it is. Now you don't have to be scared or worried, because as long as you have that locket, I'm always with you. That's your proof that I'll always be here to protect you and that I'll always love you okay Apple Head?" Derek asked, his voice thick with emotion as he heard her struggling to contain her own tears._

"_Okay Derek, thank you. I love you too," Kara responded, her heart feeling much lighter now that she'd received the locket. She knew that her father tried his best to always be around but with his being a translator for the government and then taking side jobs, she barely saw him. She knew that her parents loved that Derek took such an interest in her. She'd always looked up to him, she always would. Her daddy was her daddy, but her big cousin Derek was her hero._

"_Okay Apple Head, I gotta go get ready for practice. And just because you don't have a recital or a class, that doesn't mean you should slack off. Remember there is no down town just because the season's over, superstars and heroes are made in the off-season," Derek advised._

"_I know," Kara sighed, "I'll do some ballet and karate," she remarked, her voice sounding like that of a petulant child's. Her parents laughed, as did Derek, and as Kara said goodbye to Derek, before telling her parents that he said goodbye to them, Kara knew that they all found her reluctant agreement to Derek's advice amusing. Kara lifted the necklace from the box and turned so that her mother could put it around her neck. She promised herself then that she would never take it off._

**End of Flashback**

And she never had. Oh, she took it off when she took a shower and when she and Hotch were making love, because let's face it, it would be weird to be wearing the necklace that her cousin had given her while she was making love to their boss, but other than that, she never took it off. Kara focused her gaze back to the task at hand as the memories of her childhood faded from her mind. Glancing up she saw Derek's fond smile and realized that he must have been remembering the exact same thing as her. The two cousins smiled at each other before focusing their attention back to the specifics of the case.

"The UnSub is someone who studied the case and escape of George Foyett extensively. He's someone who talked constantly about how 'The Reaper' was or is the best serial killer that ever lived. His fascination is borderline fanatic. The three murders took place during the day in broad daylight so our UnSub does not have a steady 9-5 job. He's a loner, he has no friends to speak of and his father has either disowned him or shuns him at every opportunity. His mother supports him and he resents that support, which is why he's killed two women and killed them so brutally. He has a definite problem with women in positions of authority which is why he's targeted female members of the FBI to torture and kill and described it in such detail," Hotch stated, giving the profile after he and his team had examined the crime scene and spoken to the families of the victims, the day after arriving in New York.

"Since this UnSub is a copycat, he sees his work as being in direct competition with that of his 'idol': George Foyett, so he will try to be more brutal and more horrific in his kills. It's very similar to the case of Jack the Ripper who murdered prostitutes in London. Contrary to some belief, he did not come over to America to continue the killings, he did spark a chain of copycats however, who began murdering prostitutes here, each one worst than the last," Reid continued.

"Our UnSub is a white male between the ages of 25 and 35. He's in very good shape and charming. There are no defensive wounds on the bodies of our victims and they were all found either in their homes or right outside of them. And since they all lived here in The City, their apartments and homes were places of high traffic. He's supremely confident to pull off the murders in such high-traffic places, which means we're dealing with a classic Narcissistic personality," Prentiss added.

"Narcissistic personality?" Detective ShaLisa James asked.

"It means that our UnSub feels no remorse. He's a sociopath, and he feels that what he's doing and what he wants is more important than anything else, even the deaths of a few people. He wants fame and recognition and he will do anything to get it," Rossi explained.

"Because of this reason our UnSub is not going to go down without a fight. He's going to go out in a blaze of glory. While he admires 'The Reaper' and his cunning escape from prison, this UnSub feels as if Foyett took the coward's way out," Kara stated pointing to blown up photo of the page sent from the UnSub, "he describes everything in detail and his thoughts are clear on the matter. He plans on being more recognizable and more famous than Foyett and he doesn't plan on ever setting foot inside of a prison. He's going to go down shooting."

"Please get this profile out to all of your officers and agents. Thank you," Hotch concluded the debriefing and the BAU team stood and watched as the officers and agents all stood and walked out of the bullpen. Kara sighed and turned to walk to the bathroom. Her phone vibrated on her hip and unclipping it from her waist she was surprised to see who it was. "Leah?" she answered surprised.

"Hey Kara! Your parents told me that you were in The City working on a case, so I thought I'd call you up to see if maybe you'd want to meet for drinks or something when you get off?" Leah asked, her voice hopeful.

Kara groaned in disappointment. She and Leah had gone to the academy together and while Kara had been promoted to Head Agent and then transferred over to the BAU, Leah had eventually quit The Agency and gone off to teach criminal justice at NYU. "Leah, I wish I could. But first off, I can't drink, I'm pregnant again," Kara laughed as Leah gave a shout of joy. Kara continued walking back towards the bathroom and walked inside, closing the door behind her, "And when we're working on a case like this, we really need to have our wits about us. But hey, once we solve the case and catch this bastard, Aaron, Derek, Penelope and I will all meet you for dinner or something," Kara promised, happy to have heard from Leah, whom she hadn't seen since the wedding.

"Okay, I'm holding you to that," Leah agreed, "Well, I have to go to class, I'll talk to you later. Be careful Kara."

"Thanks I will," Kara said, "Talk to you soon," just as Kara was about to conclude the call she heard gunshots in the background. "Leah?!" she yelled out in fear. Jerking up her pants and flushing the toilet, Kara continued to yell Leah's name into the phone. Washing her hands quickly, she dashed out of the bathroom, with paper towels in her hand as she yelled out Hotch's name.

"What's wrong?" Hotch asked racing to her, his eyes filled with fear.

"I was just on the phone with Leah, she was getting ready to teach a class at NYU when I heard gunshots ring out. We have to make sure she's okay!" Kara panted out frantically. The rest of the BAU team had gathered at this point and as they turned to go, they noticed that the police station had become a frenzy of action as officers grabbed their holsters and vests and took off out of the door. Without hesitation the BAU team followed.

As they arrived at the campus, they noticed the chaos that had ensued. Bodies littered the field, from the front all the way to the door of the criminal justice building. Their guns poised and ready, the BAU team, along with SWAT and other officers and agents from the NYPD office stormed the building. Kara struggled to maintain her professional demeanor as she kept her eyes open for her friend. The campus shooter had made quick exit it appeared, walking and shooting, not stopping, but every shot dead on. Every victim had either been shot in the heart directly or in the head. Kara stopped counting when she reached body number 20. The shooter hadn't even stopped to reload, just dropping the guns and continued walking and shooting. As they came towards the end of the hall, they noticed the back door was open. Kara knew that Leah's classroom was the last one on the right and speaking into the communicator on her vest she asked for Derek and Prentiss to come with her as she went to examine the classroom. The two agents came with her without hesitation after receiving an okay from Hotch. As they came upon the closed door, Kara knocked and called out Leah's name. Hearing nothing, Kara nodded at Derek and stepped back, her gun raised at the soon to be opened door. Taking one step back, Derek lifted his right foot and kicked open the door with force. As the three agents swept in with their guns, they all came to a stop at the massacre.

"Hotch! Rossi! Reid! We're going to need you in here!" Derek called out, his voice loud in the face of the now deathly silent classroom.

Kara stood frozen in shock. This was the target of the killer. She'd figured wrong. He'd come through the back door, shot up this entire room and then as he'd walked out the front door, he'd taken out students one by one.

"How the hell did he lock this door from the outside?" she wondered, her brain on auto-pilot as she walked around, looking for evidence.

"It's a push lock," Prentiss answered, examining the doorknob, "You just push it in and it's locked. You'd have to turn it from the inside to unlock it."

"And there's no one alive in here to do that," Kara nodded, as she continued to walk around the room, counting the 18 students inside the classroom. As she came to Leah's desk, she inhaled deeply and stepped around the corner of the desk, her gun still held tightly in her hand, although it was no longer aimed at anything. She stopped as she saw the two bullets in the body of her friend, her left hand flying up to cover her mouth at the sight. Gasping she turned around and closed her eyes tightly, fighting the wave of nausea that flooded over her.

"Kara? Are you okay?" Derek asked as he came up to her.

"It's Leah," she whispered. Derek nodded and then gently pushing her out of the way, stepped behind the desk.

"Shit!" Derek hissed out, his reaction causing Kara to turn around. At her questioning look he explained, "It's our UnSub. He used her blood to draw the Eye of Providence on the floor."

Kara's eyes flew to the floor next to Leah's body to see the symbol. Upon recognizing the symbol, she slammed her fist into the wall in frustration and thrust her hands into her hair. Exhaling furiously, she looked at Hotch who'd come upon the desk by this point and growled in her throat saying, "I want this bastard's head on a stick in my backyard and I want it now." Without waiting for a response, she stormed out of the classroom, needing a chance to breathe. As she stepped out the front of the building, she saw the bodies of the deceased students and security officers that she'd seen on the way in. She sighed and bowed her head, her eyes closing. Her eyes opened when she felt her phone vibrate on her hip and identifying the caller as Penelope she answered the phone, "Hey Pen what's up?"

"Hey there gorgeous. So is your friend okay?" Penelope questioned, her voice hesitant.

"No, two shots, one to the head and one to the heart. It's our UnSub. He left the Eye of Providence on the floor," Kara answered.

"Oh no!" Penelope gasped, "Well, I can't wait until you catch this sonofabitch."

Kara smiled at Penelope's heated response, her limbs and blood slowly returning to normal, both having gone cold and numb at the sight of her dead friend. "Thanks P, I feel the same way," she stated.

"Well, I worked on this image of the face in the locket and genius that I am, I've cleaned it up. It's not a perfect picture, but it's good enough that we can release it to the media and people will have some idea of what our UnSub looks like," Penelope explained.

"That's great P! Can you send the picture to my PDA?" Kara asked, as she turned and quickly made her way back inside.

"I've already done it ma chere'. Catch this bastard Kara. Penelope out," Penelope commanded as she hung up the phone.

Smiling at the fact that Penelope could cheer her up so quickly, Kara stepped back into Leah's classroom, ready to get to work. As she began processing the crime scene with the rest of the team, Kara trained her mind to treat this as every other crime scene that she'd come across. As she walked back to where Leah's body was, she noticed something that she hadn't seen before. "Reid?!" she called out. As he approached her she pointed out the scrap of paper underneath the right hand of Leah. "It's a page from her notebook," she pointed out, and after getting the Forensics photographer to snap a picture of Leah's body and the placement of her body, Kara, using tweezers, gently slid the piece of paper from underneath her hand. Turning to Reid she held out the piece of paper, "It's Leah's handwriting, but I don't think that I can read it for myself," she explained. She watched as Reid read the two lines written by Leah and waited for his statement.

"She must have written this when the UnSub first began shooting. She writes: Always a troubled soul, and yet his parents own the world. It's obviously some type of clue," Reid identified.

Kara nodded and bagging the note as evidence, she continued looking for evidence. There sitting on the desk was another page from the UnSub's book. "I don't understand, this isn't what he described on the last page at all," Rossi stated confused.

"I think I know why," Kara mused as she lifted the page from the desk and began to read. "The other page was a decoy. He says it right here that he diverted the attention of law enforcement away from the school that so horribly mistreated him. He said that his revenge would be sweet against them and that he would take out as many of them as he could. As Kara continued reading she grew angrier. Having exacted his revenge on the school, he then planned to find his parents and kill them for turning their backs on them.

"He's going after his parents," Kara breathed out.

"But, who are his parents?" Prentiss asked.

Kara looked down at Leah's body that was being placed in the body bag and thought back to the note that Reid had read to her. Biting her lip she thought hard about the possible identity of the UnSub. As a thought surfaced she pulled out her phone and dialed Penelope.

"Yes my dove?" Penelope answered.

"Hey Pen, I need you to look up all companies with the name Globe or Earth in it and cross reference the owners of those companies with any parents that have sons enrolled in NYU who are majoring in Criminal Justice," Kara asked.

Kara listened as Penelope typed furiously on her keyboard. "There's two. Darthur Anderson and Geoffrey Smith," Penelope provided.

"Okay now I want you to cross those with their classes and thesis statements. Our UnSub has either taken a class on serial killers or has written a paper about them," Kara pointed out as she slowly paced the front of the classroom, her free hand gesturing as she spoke.

"Geoffrey Smith wrote a paper on 'The Genius of The Reaper'," Penelope gasped out.

"Great Pen, thanks! Can you send the address of his parents' home and their company to my phone?" Kara asked as she gestured to Hotch who stood watching her.

"Sure can," Penelope replied, "Coming to you now."

As Kara walked out of the classroom, followed by Hotch and the rest of the team, she felt slightly better. Glancing at the picture of Geoffrey Smith and the addresses of his parents' home and company, Kara knew that they were going to catch Geoffrey that day. As the team hurried to their waiting SUVs, followed by members of SWAT and a few officers, Kara was stopped by a student. "Is it true that someone killed Ms. Leah?" the young girl asked.

Kara nodded her head sadly, "Yes it is."

"I just can't believe it," the young girl stated, "She'd just told us that her and her partner, Maria, had gotten engaged. They were planning on flying to Iowa to get married."

Shocked at the news that Leah was engaged, Kara's throat was choked by emotion. Patting the student on the back she turned and hurried to the SUV and climbed in. She gave the directions to Derek who was driving and prepared herself to jump out when they arrived at the parents' home. As the team arrived, they realized that they were almost thirty minutes behind Geoffrey. As they approached the home, they kept their ears and eyes open for movement, gunshots, or cries for help. Hearing Geoffrey's angry ranting, they knew that he'd spent his moments there yelling and criticizing his parents. As the team separated, they knew that this was a very delicate situation.

Kara knocked on the door and called out a warning, "Geoffrey! It's the FBI! Put down any weapons you have and come outside with your hands up!"

"Not a chance you bitch!" Geoffrey yelled out, "They have to pay for turning their back on their own son!"

"This is your last chance Geoffrey! Come out peaceably or we will be forced to come in!" Kara called out in response, hoping that Derek, Rossi and Prentiss had taken the opportunity to come in through the back of the house with other members of SWAT.

"Go to hell!" Geoffrey called out.

Kara stood back as Hotch kicked in the front door and covering him, followed him, SWAT and Reid inside the home. As they entered the front room, they saw that both of Geoffrey's parents had been tied up to their chairs, gagged, and that they were sitting in front of a table and on that table there lay pictures of all of his victims. He'd been forcing them to see what their rejection of him had "forced" him to do. Geoffrey, an in-shape, 20-something young man, stood with his gun pressed against the back of his father's head.

"I'll shoot him!" Geoffrey yelled out.

"Okay, that's not necessary. See? Look Geoffrey, I'm putting my weapon down," Kara said, lifting her hands in surrender and placing her gun on the ground gently. Prentiss followed suit as did the other female members of SWAT and the NYPD who were there. All of them having remembered that Geoffrey had a major problem with women in positions of authority. As they all stepped away from their guns, they noticed a subtle change in Geoffrey's shoulders. He relaxed just a bit, even though his gun was still pressed against his father's head.

"Geoffrey, why did you leave us a page detailing a shooting in Times Square and the torture and killings of the female members of my team and then not do it?" Hotch questioned in an effort to distract Geoffrey so that Derek could sneak up behind him and arrest him.

"You're so stupid! It was to get you to look anywhere but at me. You'd be focused on people with connections to Times Square, not a Criminal Justice student from NYU. Just like Foyett did with stabbing himself to get the focus off of himself," Geoffrey stated proudly as he mentioned his idol.

"You're definitely smarter than all of us," Rossi said.

"I know I am," Geoffrey said smiling, finally getting some sort of praise, not noticing that Derek was slowly coming up behind him.

"You killed way more people than 'The Reaper' and your kills were much worse," Reid said playing into Geoffrey's Narcissistic personality.

"So I'm going to be more famous than him right?" Geoffrey asked, his eyes lighting up with joy.

Derek took that opportunity to pounce and grabbing Geoffrey from the back, he knocked the gun out of his hand and forcing him to the ground, he handcuffed him. Prentiss rushed over and untied his parents, receiving their thanks and talking to them. Kara glared at Geoffrey as he passed by, the taste of bile in her throat as she looked into the eyes of the young man who'd killed one of her dearest friends. She had to admit that she was hoping to have the opportunity to shoot the little prick, and that fact alone, let her know that she was too close to this case. It was a good thing that it was over.

_Valentine's Day_

Kara grabbed her red clutch from the nightstand next to her bed and walked to the door of her hotel room. Opening it, she found herself face-to-face with a dozen red roses. "Aaww Aaron," she breathed out, "They're beautiful."

"Not half as beautiful as you," Hotch stated as he leaned forward to kiss her.

"Aaww that's so sweet," Kara said as she kissed Hotch back passionately. Placing the roses on the table in the room, Kara took one last glance at herself in the mirror, happy that her new red, silk, sweetheart dress hugged her body in all the right places. It came down to her knees, swirling around at the bottom and grabbing her black fur coat, Kara stepped out of the room and took Hotch's hand. They were going out for a romantic dinner with Derek, Penelope, Reid, Elle, Rossi, Prentiss, JJ, and Maria, Leah's fiance. It wasn't the traditional romantic, Valentine's Day dinner that most people experienced, but it was what worked for them. The team was together, happy, alive, and it was Valentine's Day in The City. At the restaurant as they waited for their meals to arrive, they were shocked when Reid stood up and kneeling on one knee before Elle, proposed to her. They all clapped in delight when Elle said yes, knowing that it meant that she would be moving back to Quantico.

The dinner quickly changed into a celebratory, impromptu engagement dinner as Elle showed off the two-carat diamond ring. As the food arrived, Kara stood up and raising her glass of cider she looked at Maria and smiled. Then placing her hand on the shoulder of her husband she gave a word of tribute to her fallen friend, "To Leah, who believed in the power of love, no matter what the package or the circumstance." As the rest of the group raised their glass, Kara sighed happily as she remembered her friend. No matter how the cases went, in the end knowing that they had done good and had made the world a little safer and a better place made it all worth it.

_The rays of happiness, like those of light, are colorless when unbroken.-Henry W. Longfellow_

_*A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know it was a little long, but I couldn't finish it, my muse just kept me typing. Anyway, I look forward to your reviews! Hope everyone's looking forward to the new year, have you got your New Year's Resolutions ready? I do! This chapter is dedicated to my sister: seekinglove90 who is featured in the chapter as the detective, I've totally got her hooked on CM now! Ha!*_


	26. Shopping Trip

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Sorry that this one is a little late in coming, but here you go! Thanks again!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly.-Isaac Asimov_

Kara bounced slightly up and down as she struggled to pull her jeans up over her thighs. Groaning in frustration, she pulled a litter harder, shouting out in joy when the pants came up, she walked out of her closet and laid down on the bed and tried to buckle the pants over her expanding waist. Sighing in defeat, the thought of pulling her jeans back off exhausting her just from the thought. Hoping that he was still in the house, she called out for her husband. "AARON!!"

Hotch walked into the room moments later, his suit in place as he held Judith in his arms. "Yeah baby, what's up?"

"I need help," she whined pointing to her legs.

Chuckling silently, Hotch put Judith on the floor, "On or off?" he questioned, knowing that Kara was struggling with the fact that at the end of her third month of pregnancy she was already starting to show.

"Off," she huffed out, "And don't you dare laugh Aaron Hotchner, I'm in the predicament because of you."

"I know honey, that's why I'm laughing. I'm happy that we're having another baby, I'm hoping that it's a boy, to kinda even things up here in the house," Hotch laughed as he grabbed the waistband of Kara's jeans and began pulling them down.

"I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, just as long as it's not triplets," she sighed as her jeans were pulled off. Standing she scooped up Judith and snuggled her neck. "I don't have anything to wear," she stated to Hotch.

"Honey, you have a walk-in closet full of clothes, shoes, handbags, sunglasses, swimsuits, headbands, jackets, sweaters…you have something to wear," Hotch reminded her.

"No I don't," she argued.

"You're not going shopping," he told her.

"C'mon baby, you know you want to go shopping with me."

"No."

"And we can take the kids and make it a family outing."

"No, I'm going into the office to finish up on some files."

"No you're not, you're going to forget about the office and come to the mall with your wife and your children."

The two of them stood staring at each other for a long time, Hotch in his suit, and Kara in her black tank top and black panties. Judith looked at both of her parents, very aware that something big was happening, for that reason she kept her mouth closed, choosing not to cry and let them know that she had a wet diaper.

Hotch sighed, "Fine!" he groaned out, "But if I'm going to the mall to go shopping, I need backup."

Chuckling, Kara walked over to the white dresser in the corner where she placed diapers and pull-ups and grabbed a diaper for Judith whose wide eyes and open mouth showed her surprise at her mommy's knowledge of her wet diaper without her having to cry for it. "Okay, you can call Derek," she suggested.

"And Rossi," Hotch added.

"And Rossi," Kara amended.

"And Reid," Hotch added.

"What the hell do you need Reid there for?" Kara looked up to look at him, pausing in changing Judith's diaper. At Hotch's look she nodded her head, "And Reid and Elle," she agreed.

"And Will and Jacob," Hotch laughed as he pulled off his suit, hanging it up in the closet.

"Oh for God's sake Aaron!" Kara laughed, "Why didn't you just say that you wanted this to be a team outing?" At his sheepish expression, her gaze softened and lifting a newly changed Judith she walked over to him and kissed his chin, "Okay, you call everyone and we'll have a team outing at the mall and then invite them all back here for a barbeque okay?"

"Sounds like a great idea," Hotch agreed as he pulled on a Virginia Tech t-shirt over his unbuttoned grey jeans. Kissing Kara and Judith, he set out to make the phone calls. Kara watched him walk away, shaking her head fondly. Looking at Judith who was now clapping her hands happily and singing a baby song that only she understood, Kara said, "Judith, enjoy this day, your daddy is in rare form, he's like a big kid. This may just be the perfect day for us to ask him for that Disney Princesses castle that we saw for you, what do you say?"

Judith, having understood _everything_ that her mother had said to her, nodded her head and clapped her hands in excitement. She wanted that castle and if her daddy was in a good mood, then her mommy was right, this was the best time to get it.

"You men are all a bunch of wimps!" Prentiss laughed as the men groaned in agony as the group sat down in the food court.

"Honey, we've been shopping for the last three hours!! Our feet hurt!" Jacob groaned as he leaned back in his chair.

"Three hours? That's nothing! Kara and I once went shopping for a whole day, remember that Kara?" Penelope laughed as she cuddled Shemar in her lap.

"I sure do. That was right before Aaron and I found out that we were having the trips," Kara remembered as she buckled Emie and Liz into their high chairs as Hotch buckled A.J. and Judith in theirs.

"How long were you guys shopping that day?" Derek asked as he tickled Kirsten.

"About eight hours I believe," Kara stated as lightly rubbed her barely bulging belly.

"Eight hours?! What were you guys shopping for?" Reid asked, smiling into Elle's eyes as she kissed the side of his neck.

"Clothes, baby stuff, household stuff. Essentials," Penelope laughed as she buckled Shemar into his high chair beside his sister Kirsten.

"See, the problem is that for all of their brawn and physical strength, men are inherently weaker than women," JJ expressed her opinion as she pushed Henry's chair up to the table so that he could eat.

"Excuse me?" Will asked, his Louisiana drawl thick with amazement. He and JJ were waiting for the perfect time to tell everyone that they'd gotten married at the courthouse but they hadn't found the time, and for them all to be profilers and employed by the FBI they were all extremely unobservant.

"Well, she's right you know. There's a reason that God created women to endure menstrual cycles and labor…it's because she knew that men would probably kill themselves because the pain was too great and then the Earth wouldn't be populated and the human race would cease to exist," Elle stated.

"I feel extremely insulted right now," Rossi huffed.

"No need to my dear, when it's the truth you don't need to feel insulted," Lauren chuckled as she began eating her salad.

The group laughed then and began eating. Hotch looked over at Kara and smiled before standing up to make an announcement to the group, "Okay, so conceding to the women that they are right that we men are incapable of withstanding the pain of hours of endless shopping, Kara and I are inviting you all back to our place for a barbeque when we finish here. It's a dinner to celebrate our survival of the mall and JJ and Will's marriage."

At their looks of shock Kara laughed, "Did you think we didn't notice? Of course we did! I must admit, I feel a little insulted that we weren't invited, but nevertheless as recompense for not allowing us to be there, you must allow us to throw you a reception."

"Agreed," JJ and Will said simultaneously.

The group laughed and finished their lunches. The men groaned in agony when the women stood up and told them that it was time to get back to shopping, as they loaded up the children the mood was light and happy. They knew that another case would come up and soon, but for now, they would enjoy this time together.

Kara walked out of the changing room and twirled around in the scoop-necked red belted dress. "What do you think of this?" she asked Penelope who stood outside of the room burping Kirsten.

"I love it, but will you be able to continue wearing that throughout your pregnancy?" Penelope hinted.

Kara pouted, "Another A.P. dress then?" she asked, referring to the hefty "After Pregnancy" pile that she'd acquired already.

"Yes honey dear," Penelope laughed.

"Aren't you supposed to be buying maternity clothes?" Prentiss asked as she adjusted the strap on the one-shouldered silver shimmery shirt that she was trying on.

"Yea, yea, yea," Kara pouted again. Walking back into her changing room she walked back towards the main shopping floor, determined to buy maternity clothes. "Stinkin' pregnancy body," she muttered.

Finding a maternity one-piece pantsuit that she knew Hotch would abhor, she pulled it off the rack. Turning to the men she called out his name, "Aaron! What do you think of this?" As the men turned to her, one of the saleswomen walked up to her, "Can I help you with anything?" she asked.

"Oh, no thank you, I'm just trying to get my husband's attention, to see if he likes this," Kara said cheekily as she saw Hotch making his way towards her.

"Oh, is your husband the attractive bald man standing over there?" the saleswoman asked, ignoring Hotch who was still walking towards them.

"Who Derek? Eeww no! That's my cousin! Why are people always trying to pair us off? It's quite disgusting," Kara laughed, "No, my husband is this gorgeous man right here," she declared as Hotch reached her. He took the pantsuit from her and placed it back on the rack.

"Hell no," he shook his head and smiled at her before kissing her softly on the lips.

"Oh really? You two are married? I had no idea," the saleswoman said, her voice sounding as if she were about to be ill. Her face scrunched up as if she'd been sucking on a lemon.

"Yes, we're married, we have five children with one on the way," Kara said proudly, smiling when Hotch rubbed her belly.

"Oh, well, congratulations. If you need any help do not hesitate to call me or one of my associates," the saleswoman said before walking away.

"Well, she was just delightful wasn't she?" Kara said sarcastically.

"Yeah, we'll have to make sure we let her boss know how…considerate and helpful she was with us," Hotch gritted out between clenched teeth. Turning back to Kara he said, "Now, let's find you some appropriate maternity clothes."

Surprised that Hotch was going to actually help her shop, Kara agreed hurriedly. Two hours later, the BAU team left the store, Kara having acquired over eight new maternity outfits, and they headed to the Disney store where they let the kids roam free. Each child was allowed to buy three new toys, Kara and Hotch groaned when they realized how many toys that meant for their little brood. They smiled at the looks of delight and awe on their children's faces and knew that they weren't spoiled and knew that they were grateful for everything that their parents did for them. It was Judith, however, that had every adult in the store laughing, she'd toddled over to where the Disney Princesses Castle was and grabbed hold of the floor model, refusing to let go until Rossi showed her that he'd bought her one and that it was in the box, in which case, she toddled after him and the box, her arms outstretched, and her mouth open in an adorable little "o".

It was a very content and happy group that left the mall headed towards the Hotchner home. Happy and in love, the women thinking about the upcoming Reid/Greenaway wedding and the men wondering if there was a game on at home. And the children? Well, all they could think about were the toys that sat in the bags in the back of the car.

_Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.-Elizabeth Stone_

_A/N: Sorry this was so late, but I look forward to your reviews! Please review and please pass the story on. You guys totally rock!!_


	27. Barbeque

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks again!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.-Allan K. Chalmers_

_As the group walked into the Hotchner home they were greeted by the smells of barbeque. They all paused in the hallway and glanced at each other in confusion._

"_It's got to be someone that we know. I mean they have a key, they're making barbeque…" Kara justified nervously as her hand went to the gun that she had tucked away in the waistband of her skirt._

"_Your parents maybe?" Penelope questioned as the rest of the team reached for their guns. _

"_They're out of town, they went to visit Aunt Fran in Chicago," Kara explained, shaking her head. She looked at Hotch with concern. This was their home and their children were here. While this would be the strangest experience any of them had experienced, it wouldn't be unlike an UnSub to have been stalking them and to have been listening and to know that they were planning a barbeque for later that evening. Elle glanced at Reid and took Judith in her arms and put her hand on Jack's shoulder. Penelope, Jacob, Lauren and Will gathered the other children and led them outside. The rest of the team walked carefully towards the kitchen, their guns poised and ready. As they approached the backyard, Kara felt fear pumping through her veins, she didn't want to have to shoot or kill anyone at her home, she didn't want that memory coursing through her mind everyday. Inhaling against the thought, she focused her mind on the task at hand. Hotch and Derek were the first to get to the French doors that led outside and nodding at each other, Hotch opened the door so that Derek could step out first, his gun aimed at the suspect. Hotch went out next, followed by Prentiss then Kara, then Reid, then Rossi and JJ. As one they all lowered their guns with a laugh when they saw who their "suspect" was._

"_Shawn?!" Kara laughed._

"_What the hell are you doing here?" Hotch breathed out as the team holstered their guns._

_Lowering his hands which he had raised upon turning to see the entire BAU team with their guns trained on him, Shawn responded. "You sent me an email telling me that you and the team had a few days off and that you all were barbequing today, then you said that you wished Kathryn and I could be here, so I decided to grant your wish for you," he stated, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal._

"_You realize that you almost got shot, right?" Derek huffed out, crossing his arms over his chest._

"_Yes, I do realize that now," Shawn replied. Looking around the team and behind them, he questioned, "Where are the kids?"_

"_My babies!" Kara exclaimed rushing back through the house and out the front door. "Come on back in, it was just Shawn!" she yelled to the rest of the group. As they laughed and got out of their cars, Kara took Judith in her arms and grabbed the hand of A.J. as she led them back through the house. Jack, the ever-present protector, walked in front of her, his eyes moving rapidly over every area as he inspected everything. As they stepped out the backdoor, his little shoulders relaxed and he walked over to hug his Uncle Shawn and Aunt Kathryn, who'd been in the bathroom and was now hearing the story about how she almost became a widow. Kara placed Judith in her playpen and opened the toy chest that sat out on the back patio for the younger kids to play. She breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't have to kill anyone in her home and that what could've been a bad scenario had actually turned into a funny story. She smiled at JJ and Will and got the attention of all of the adults who stood around outside now drinking beer._

"_I think we've proved today that we are more than just coworkers, more than just a team, we are a family. We are a family that fights with each other and fights for each other. We are a family who, without hesitation, will do whatever we have to do, to protect the other members of that family. And, we are a family who delight in the successes, the happy occasions, and the new members that join this family all of the time. Whether it was you all welcoming Will into the fold as JJ's man, accepting Prentiss as Elle's replacement, accepting me as a new member of the team and as Hotch's wife, accepting that Penelope Garcia is now and always will be Penelope Morgan…" Kara began her speech._

_Penelope gave out a whoop of happy agreement and Derek squeezed her closely to his body. The group laughed at Penelope's agreement and turned back to Kara so that she could finish her speech. "Accepting Rossi into the group after Gideon left. Accepting Jacob as Prentiss's boyfriend. Accepting Lauren as Rossi's girlfriend. C'mon Rossi, we know it's true," Kara laughed as Rossi shrugged his shoulders in reluctant acceptance. "Accepting Elle as Reid's girlfriend and now his fiancé," Kara smiled at the couple who stood with their arms around each other, "Accepting each child that's been born into the team from Jack to Henry, to the triplets, to Derek and Pen's twins, to Judith here…even this unborn baby that I'm carrying, that better not be triplets again," Kara teased as the group laughed, "We are very welcoming and accepting when we know that it's going to make another member of the team, of this family, happy," turning to Will she smiled and said, "I didn't know JJ personally before you came into her life, I only knew what Derek shared with me on the phone," she watched as JJ and Will turned to look at Derek with a smile, "But I've seen her with you, I've seen the love that the two of you have for each other, I see how fierce it is, how passionate, how real, and how deep it is. It makes me smile because JJ is like a big sister to me, not the eldest, that honor obviously goes to Prentiss," she turned to smile at Prentiss, who raised a fist in victory, causing the group to laugh, "but definitely as a big sister. What makes her smile and makes her happy, has the same affect on me. I'm glad that the two of you have each other, I'm ecstatic that you have decided to FINALLY get married and join the rest of us in happy matrimony, but more importantly I'm happy that you two have happiness. Congratulations you two," turning to the group, Kara raised her glass that was filled with iced sweet tea as they all raised their bottles of beer, "To Will and JJ!" she started off. "To Will and JJ!" the group echoed as they all took a sip of their drinks and then walked over to the new couple to offer their congratulations._

"_That was a great toast honey," Hotch whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist._

"_Thanks baby. I was going to use it for Elle and Reid but I'll just write them a new one," she teased and felt his chest rumble against her as he laughed._

"_Yeah, that might be a good idea. I mean I know we're into going green and recycling, but I don't think it's a good idea to recycle wedding toasts," Hotch agreed as he chuckled again._

_Kara turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She lifted her head up for a kiss and as their kiss changed from loving to passionate she knew that she was just as lucky as JJ and Will to have Hotch in her life. They separated when they heard throats clearing behind them and turning, they saw that the gazes of everyone was focused on them._

"_My baby cousin, ladies and gentlemen," Derek teased, which earned him a piece of ice thrown at his head. The group laughed as he stood looking at Kara in shock and then as he turned to grab a piece of ice, he was cut off by Shawn's declaration that the food was ready. As he wagged his finger at her, letting her know that it wasn't over, Kara felt her heart lifting in her chest with genuine happiness. It was the first time she'd felt this way since Valentine's Day in New York. She was glad that joy was back in her life and as she and Hotch collected their children and sat them down at their own table on the back patio, she knew that this joy was going to stick around for a long time._


	28. Derek's Big Mistake

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Sorry it's taking me longer and longer to post chapters, I'm writing my second book and unfortunately, it kind of takes precedence. But you guys rock with the reviews, especially JenRar and stepintothemoonlight16. Thanks again!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.-Elie Wiesel_

Kara scowled as she looked down and realized that her pregnancy belly was covering her feet and she couldn't see what her feet looked like. That scowl turned into a grimace when she realized that she had to go to the bathroom…again, and she'd just walked back from there.

"Okay, this case is in Norfolk, so we won't be flying, but you'll still need your ready bags," JJ began briefing.

Rolling her eyes, Kara held up a finger and turned for the door to go back to the restroom.

"Really Kara? Really? Again? I think you should just bring the toilet back with you this time," Derek teased as the team noticed Kara leaving the room.

Turning around with a massive frown on her face Kara glared at Derek. The team watched in fascination as she walked up to him, grabbed his right ear and looked deep in his eyes, "I've carried triplets, two girls and one boy, then I carried a girl and it was never this bad. Now that I'm carrying two boys, they've decided to make my life miserable by playing soccer and football with my bladder. And still even with all of that I'm still strong enough to take you down. You couldn't handle one day of being pregnant, much less seven months of it. So until you get pregnant and deliver said baby or babies in my case, don't open your big fat mouth, D," Kara commanded before she let go of Derek's ear and gracefully sailed out of the room, even though she waddled the entire time.

Once she'd left the room everyone looked at Derek and then exploded in laughter. Derek's handsome face, usually very composed was the very picture of shock and yes, respect and awe. He turned to look at Hotch as did everyone else, and raising his left eyebrow he questioned Hotch, "I've never heard much less seen Kara angry and annoyed with me like that. Is it only me?"

Hotch grinned and shook his head no. "It's pretty much all men. We were watching television last night in our sitting room you know? And we were watching her favorite show 'Glee.' Halfway through the show, she flips the channel and starts going off about the arrogance of Mr. Schuester. Then she turns to me and says, 'Men! You make me sick!!' I just took it in stride because I know it's not her, it's her hormones, then she burst into tears, told me that this is the last time, the absolute last time that she's going to be pregnant, then she came and sat in my lap and went to sleep," Hotch said. Everyone laughed at Hotch's memory and quieted instantly when Kara walked back into the room.

"Oh please, Aaron, don't stop talking about me just because I walked into the room," she stated sarcastically as she took her seat and focused on JJ.

"Only good things baby, I promise," Hotch said attempting to placate her. It didn't work as Kara snorted in disbelief and waved JJ on with the debriefing.

Shaking her head at a display she was well aware of, JJ turned back to the current case briefing. Kara listened with half an ear as she sat next to Hotch. Her eyes continued to stray back to him over and over as she took notes and asked questions about the case. Four people, all killed in their homes, their bodies taken to a church and left there, all of them missing their hearts.

"Have the hearts been found yet?" Rossi asked as he looked at the crime scene photos.

"No, there were no traces of the heart anywhere. No fingerprints in the victims' home, no signs of forced entry, no defensive wounds, no hints, no clues," JJ answered.

"That should make this interesting," Derek muttered underneath his breath.

"All four victims were left at the same church, is that there connection?" Prentiss asked.

"No. While all four of our vics were law-abiding, church going citizens, none of them actually went to that particular church," JJ answered.

"So why that particular church?" Penelope asked as she playfully smacked Derek's hand where it rested on her upper thigh.

"No one knows. It hasn't been embroiled in any type of scandal, it helps the homeless. This church is known for feeding and clothing and even providing shelter to the homeless. The members of this church have the highest rate of adoption. They have a rehab center. They own a school. They help to support those who are living at or below the poverty line…it's one of the biggest reasons that we've been called in. The police chief goes to this church," JJ explained.

"Maybe he's saying that these people are heartless? Not kind and compassionate like the members of this church," Reid said.

"I think that's part of it, but I think it might be a little more than that. It seems like if that was the message that the UnSub wanted to get across then he would've killed these people left them on the steps of their own church with this church's bulletin or something on them. No, I think the UnSub is trying to send a message to this church, we just have to figure out what that message is," Kara said contemplatively.

The team nodded as they realized that she was correct in her assumption. Sighing, Hotch stood, "Let's be ready to pull out in 30," he said, he looked at Kara and smiled, "Kara can I see you in my office?" he asked.

"Sure," Kara said, figuring that he was about to bench her for the case and leave her to work with Penelope. Kara followed Hotch to his office as everyone else walked to their desks to grab their ready bags and make phone calls to family members, significant others, and babysitters. Having already sent a text message to not only her parents but to Shawn and Kathryn as well, Kara was unconcerned with having to make any phone calls. As Kara preceded Hotch into his office, her mind was so focused on the case that she was completely caught unaware when he closed the door, pulled her into his arms and began kissing her passionately. Which is why it took her about three seconds before she began kissing him back. It didn't take long before Hotch was locking the door and backing up to his couch where he pulled down Kara with him. Dispensing with formalities and just wanting to be inside of her, he unbuttoned her maternity pants and pulled them down, finding her more than ready and just as equally aroused, he quickly unbuttoned his pants, unzipped his fly, lifted his hips and slid his pants down. Lying back on the couch, he gently slid himself deep into her. They both sighed as they came together. It was the greatest feeling in the world to them. That initial moment of joining. It was something that they were unable to describe with words, but it was a feeling so amazing so surreal and supernatural that when they thought about it all either one of them could do was smile. As they moved in a rhythm known and experienced by couples since the beginning of time, their love grew deeper, wider and burned hotter. Kissing Hotch deeply as the wave of extreme sensation washed over her, Kara groaned into his mouth in order to muffle the sound. She smiled as he followed her over the precipice and as he shook and groaned with intense satisfaction, Kara felt her emotions settle into place.

"How long has it been since we've done that?" she whispered moments later as Hotch held her in his lap, the two of them still panting from their physical exertion.

"Oh…about three days," Hotch laughed as he kissed her softly on her lips.

"Around the time that my hormones started getting out of control," Kara realized.

Hotch chuckled softly, "Yeah, I figured that it was either really the pregnancy hormones or you were just as sexually frustrated as me. I figured I'd take a chance that you were just frustrated," he shrugged.

Laughing delightedly, Kara kissed him passionately and sighed, "Thanks for taking the chance baby."

"Anytime honey, anytime," Hotch promised. The two agents stood then and straightened their clothing. Looking at his watch, Hotch realized that they only had five minutes to get out to the SUVs. Grabbing his ready bag and hers that was always left in his office, Hotch took Kara's left hand in his right and as she unlocked the door, they walked out.

As the couple met the team outside, Hotch grinned widely as he shared a look with Rossi. Likewise, Kara shared a knowing glance with Penelope, JJ, and Prentiss. Derek rolled his eyes at the pair, however, and Reid asked in all innocence, "Hey Kara, are you okay? You seem kinda out of breath and your hair's all messed up. Are you alright?"

Kara grinned as the rest of the team laughed outright, "Yeah Reid, I'm fine," she answered, lightly tapping the side of his face as she waddled past, "Ellen must have such a time with you and your doe eyed innocence," she remarked as Hotch helped her into the back seat of the SUV before walking around to climb into the driver's seat.

"Huh?" Reid questioned in confusion, his mind not comprehending Kara's choice of words.

"Don't worry about it kid," Derek laughed as he climbed into the driver's seat of the second SUV.

Shrugging, Reid climbed into the SUV with Derek and Penelope as Prentiss climbed into the SUV with Kara, Hotch, JJ, and Rossi. The team was headed off to solve another case, and while extremely serious, they were happy that they left in such a happy mood.

Four days later, the team headed back to the BAU after having solved the case. The UnSub was a couple, a modern day Bonnie and Clyde with a sadistic edge. Both of them were the children of pastors, both of them had been helped by the church where they left the bodies, and both of them had been insulted or rejected by the people that they had killed, leaving them on the steps of that particular church had been their way of repaying the church for the way that they'd helped them. Sighing from exhaustion, the team was looking forward to getting home and resting for a few days. Kara leaned over and put her head on Hotch's shoulder where he sat next to her in the SUV while Derek drove and Penelope sat in the passenger's seat. The rest of the team was in the SUV behind them. As Derek drove, he yawned in exhaustion.

"Hey there sexy, maybe you should let me drive," Penelope suggested as she noticed Derek's tiredness.

"Thanks mama, but I got it," Derek reassured her moments before he yawned again, longer this time, the SUV swerving slightly.

"Hey now, be careful, my pregnant wife is back here," Hotch reprimanded Derek lightly as he kissed the top of Kara's head.

"I can't believe you guys are having twin boys," Penelope smiled as she turned to look at Hotch and Kara who was sleeping soundly.

"Neither can Kara. She started cursing what she calls her 'Morgan fertility' when we found out. She's happy about it…somewhat, but I definitely know that we aren't having any more children after them. She pointed out that we are going to have seven children, which means seven college tuitions, nine mouths to feed, seven children to marry off, seven children to raise, protect, and nine different personalities in the house," Hotch smiled at his wife fondly.

"You love it though don't you?" Penelope realized.

Hotch nodded. "I love having a house full of children…well, a house full of Kara's children. I love making and having babies with her. She's such a fantastic mother and wife that I just love watching her be those things. And I see her when I look at any of them. Even Jack has picked up on her little quirks and habits and while I still see Hayley when I look at him, now I see a little bit of Kara in him as well," Hotch explained.

Penelope opened her mouth to respond when the SUV swerved onto the other lane again, turning quickly to Derek who had fallen asleep, Penelope yelled, "Derek!"

Waking up quickly, Derek attempted to swerve the SUV back onto their line, however, the tires spun and as the SUV began spinning in the middle of the road, the other SUV having stopped, the other team members watched in horror as a truck barreled into the side of their SUV…right on the side where Kara and Derek sat. As they jumped out of their vehicle, their hearts in their throats, they all found themselves praying frantically. Rossi jerked open the door where Penelope sat, "Garcia-Morgan?" he yelled. Both Penelope and Derek opened their eyes and moaned. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Penelope climbed out, Derek climbed out after her, his door wedged shut. Prentiss pulled open Hotch's door as he slowly opened his eyes. Turning to look at Kara, whose door had bore the brunt of the hit, Hotch gasped.

"Kara?" he whispered as he noticed that the glass had broken around her. She didn't move. Touching her face softly, Hotch murmured her name again.

"Ohmigosh, she's bleeding," Prentiss gasped.

Hotch looked down and noticed the blood pooling on the floor of the vehicle.

"Kara?! Kara!!" Hotch yelled now, still she was unmoving.

"Okay Apple Head, stop playing, open your eyes, c'mon!" Derek said, his voice frantic.

The team continued trying to get Kara to open her eyes to no avail. The ambulance arrived then and as they approached the vehicle Hotch felt his blood freeze in fear.

"Can someone tell me her name?" the paramedic asked as he climbed into the vehicle.

"K-K-Kara Hotchner, she's my wife," Hotch whispered, his eyes locked on Kara's unresponsive face.

"How far along is she?" the paramedic questioned as his partner climbed in behind him, slowly and gently pushing Hotch out of the SUV.

"Seven months with twins," Hotch answered, his eyes filling with tears, "C'mon baby, please wake up, please," he whispered as Penelope took his hand in comfort.

"Okay, she's in labor, but obviously unresponsive," the first paramedic said to the second.

"How do we proceed?" the second paramedic questioned.

"Well, she won't be able to push unless we can get her to wake up," the first paramedic worried.

As if hearing their voices, Kara's eyes fluttered open with a groan leaving her lips.

"Well hello Mrs. Hotchner. You've been in a very bad car accident and you're in labor now, we're going to need you to push," the second paramedic stated.

"Aaron?" Kara whispered, her eyes closing in agony.

"Who's Aaron?" the first paramedic asked.

Hotch scrambled back into the vehicle, "That's me, her husband, that's my name," he answered. The paramedics gently turned Kara so that her legs faced the open door. The rest of the team had walked to the back of the vehicle to give their statements to the police as soon as Kara's eyes had opened. As the paramedics took their place at Kara's feet, she struggled to fight the darkness closing in and was very happy that she'd chosen to wear her maternity dress for the trip home.

"Okay Kara, I need you to push for me okay?" the first paramedic asked.

Kara began to push. Thus began the quickest labor that she'd ever had. In fifteen minutes, with only five minutes separating them, both of her sons: Derek Rossi and Shawn Reid were born. Sighing as the paramedics bundled both boys and handed them to the two other paramedics that had arrived, Kara closed her eyes and slipped into the darkness that awaited her.

"They're so beautiful aren't they Kara?" Hotch whispered, getting no response, he gently jostled Kara where she leaned back against him, "Kara? Kara?" he prodded.

Turning back to them, the paramedic noticed Kara's closed eyes and suspended breathing. "Kara?!" he yelled, turning to his partner he stated, "I think she may have slipped into a coma, let's get her on the gurney and stabilized and to the hospital." As they worked quickly, Hotch followed them in shock, tears streaming down his face as he whispered her name. They'd just had two very healthy twin boys who had to be rushed to the hospital as well and now his wife was possibly in a coma, this was possibly the worst day of his life. Climbing into the ambulance behind her, Hotch found himself praying like he'd never prayed before.

_Please God, please don't take her away from me. Please God, I'm begging you. I need her too much, we all need her too much. Please let her wake up. Please let her live. Let her be okay. Please God, please._

"_True love doesn't have a happy ending, because true love never ends. Letting go is one way of saying I love you."-Anonymous_

_A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I have no idea where my muse is going to take Kara and Hotch and their BAU family in the next chapter, I have an idea of where it will all end, but that's not for a few chapters though. I look forward to your reviews! Please review!!_


	29. Coma

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks again!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity."-Epicurus_

Hotch paced in the waiting room, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. The doctors had taken Kara over two hours ago and he'd heard nothing ever since. He'd gotten a chance to see his sons, who were both amazingly healthy and fully developed even though they were premature. The doctor had told him that he'd probably be able to take the twins home in two days. While he'd forced a smile to his face and nodded, his only thought had been of Kara and her condition. Sitting down heavily in a chair, he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He flinched and looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder, Penelope stood there, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh Hotch, I'm so so sorry. Do you need anything? Is there anything I can get for you?" she wept silent tears as she stood next to his chair.

Giving her a small forced smile, "Can you give me my wife back? Healthy and talkative?" he asked, his voice cracking on a sob.

Penelope sat next to Hotch and grabbed his hand, "I wish I could. We all want her back Hotch."

Hotch nodded and then turning his head back he noticed that Derek was talking to the police. "What's going on there?" he asked.

"Derek's getting a ticket for causing the accident. The other driver was unharmed, but since Kara's in a coma, they're also talking about charging him. He's so broken up over the whole thing, so upset that he's not even trying to fight it," Penelope explained.

"Kara wouldn't want that," Hotch sighed brokenly. Reaching into his breast pocket, Hotch pulled out the picture of Kara and the kids that he always kept there. They'd flown down to the Florida Keys and as Kara played with the kids in the sand, he'd decided to take a picture. The picture was of Kara, holding Judith, while A.J., Emie, Liz, and Jack stood in front of her all of them smiling. It was the picture that he carried around with him everywhere that he went. It kept him going and helped him to move past a case when it was over. Hotch ran a finger tenderly and lovingly over Kara's face in the picture, tears falling unbidden down his cheeks. Penelope nodded, agreeing with Hotch's statement afterwards she bowed her head, praying for her cousin-in-law's full recovery.

Derek felt awful. The driver of the other truck wasn't pressing charges, although he would have to pay for damages and the police had agreed to wait until Kara came out of her coma before they would decide whether or not to press charges on her behalf. That was _if_ Kara came out of her coma. Rubbing his bald head in frustration, Derek turned away from the waiting room and headed for the chapel. He couldn't just sit in the waiting room and wait. Besides that, he felt so guilty that he couldn't even look at Hotch. Pulling open the doors to the chapel, he walked straight up to the front and collapsed on the front pew, his shoulders heaving as sobs of agony and guilt ripped through his throat and his body.

_I have been having a really difficult time with this whole faith thing,_ he prayed, _but I know that Kara prays all the time. She even makes Hotch and the kids go to church. She really believes in You, she believes that You have the power to do anything and everything. The last time I really prayed like this Penelope had just been shot. You saved her life. I'm back again, I really need another miracle. Please don't take Kara away from us. She's got kids, a husband, friends, family. She does a lot of good, especially with that group home and volunteering at different centers. She's one of the good ones, she always has been. I think that's why she's had such a hard time for so long, she's special. _He opened his eyes and looked up, tears rolling down his caramel colored cheeks, his eyes red from agony and tears, his hands were clenching each other as his body shook from the force of containing his sobs. "I've always known she was special, I don't think I show her or tell her nearly as much as I should. I know that I kinda take her for granted. But I swear if you let her live, if you bring her out of this, I'll be a better cousin, a better husband, father, a better agent, a better man. I'll start coming to church, praying more. I'll volunteer at that group home like Kara's been trying to get me to do. Just please, please, please don't take Apple Head away from me," he prayed aloud. As he lowered his head he saw a pair of manicured, slim, milk chocolate colored, dancer's feet. As his eyes traveled upwards, he noticed the hospital gown, the protrusion around the belly area and then his eyes connected with Kara's, her hair tumbling around her shoulders, gasping he whispered her name, "Kara?!"

Kara smiled at him, "How many times do I have to tell you that you can't bribe or make deals with God D? It doesn't work like that. He's going to do what He thinks is best, regardless of any incentive that you may offer him," she said as she sat down next to him.

"Kara, I thought you were dead!" Derek breathed, "Shouldn't you be laying down? I mean, you just got out of a coma and everything. Oh man! Does Hotch know? I bet he is so happy, I mean you should've seen him, he-" Derek said excitedly, his words trailing off as he noticed Kara shaking her head.

"Derek, I'm still in a coma. Your psyche only conjured me up so that you could experience some peace…or maybe it was God, you still haven't decided which one yet," Kara laughed, the sound easing some of Derek's pain, "You know me though Derek. You know I don't blame you for this accident. You also know that I wouldn't want you helping out at T.E.P. just to soothe some misplaced guilt that you have, or to make you feel as though you fulfilled some deal with God." Sighing, "Apparition Kara" looked forward, "Do you remember when I was in the hospital as a kid after having my appendix taken out?" she waited for Derek's nod before she continued, "Do you remember what you did for me that made me feel better about being in the hospital? That's what I need now. I don't need your guilt or your barters with God. I need my cousin. I need my cousin to make me feel better. To help me get well. I need that, you need that, Aaron needs that, my kids and my parents need that and the team needs that. So that's what I need you to do, okay D?" she stood to her feet and went back to stand in front of the altar, directly in front of the lighted candles. Derek nodded at her, wiping away his tears as the vision of her faded from his view. His head was still bowed when Penelope sat next to him, placing her hand on his knee.

"How are you holding up?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"A little better," he admitted, "I need to get to a Best Buy or something. I've got some things to buy," he said as he stood up quickly.

"What?! Derek, what are you talking about? Are you okay?" Penelope questioned, her voice belying the fear she had that Derek's mind had snapped in the face of his cousin's coma.

"Yes, I'm okay. It's something that I did for Kara when she was a kid. I've gotta try something. I gotta get to Best Buy," he panted as he hurried out of the chapel, Penelope hot on his heels.

_Kara sighed and smoothed her hands over her golden dress, music playing softly in the background. She felt so beautiful in this gown. Accepting the microphone from the stagehand, she walked forward to center stage when she heard her name being called. As she inhaled deeply, her eyes found her family and friends sitting on the front row. Smiling at them, she opened her mouth and began to sing, "Listen," by Beyonce' one of her favorite songs. As she sang she saw their eyes fill with tears. Then one by one they all stood up to leave, as they walked away they grew older and older as she remained the same age. She watched as her children grew up and then grew old, the whole time they walked away from her towards the back of the theater. When they got too old, they would simply fade away. She began crying out for them to stop, certain that they were aging and disappearing because they were walking away from her. She turned suddenly as the music that had been playing softly in the background suddenly grew to a crescendo. It was then that she heard Michael Jackson's song, "Dangerous" playing loudly. As the end of that song played, Frank Sinatra's song "Someone to Watch Over Me" began to play, turning back to the audience, Kara realized that her family and friends were no longer there, and seeing a light coming from backstage, she ran towards it, the music getting louder the closer that she got to it._

Kara's eyes opened slowly, the light piercing them, she winced slightly and squinted her eyes against the harsh brightness. Allowing her eyes to slowly move over the hospital room that she was in, she noticed that she was in a large private hospital suite. In one corner she noticed all of her kids scrunched together on four different cots, obviously Hotch had used some sort of authority to get them to be allowed to stay in the hospital. Her lips pulled into a stiff smile from un-use as she gazed upon their gorgeous sleeping faces. As her eyes continued to move, she noticed her parents sleeping in hospital chairs, they looked extremely uncomfortable, as did Derek who was asleep in another hospital chair next to the boom box that was playing the music that she'd heard. Her eyes continued to move over her room's inhabitants and she noticed the newborn crib next to her bed, she looked down into it and noticed her newborn sons, sleeping soundly, their faces turned towards each other. She felt tears flow down her cheeks at the sight but was too tired to wipe them away. Her eyes continued to move and turning her head slowly to the right she noticed Hotch, his head laying on the bed next to her thigh, one arm slung over her thighs, the other hand holding onto hers. As the door to her hospital room opened, she turned to see who was coming in. As Penelope walked in quietly, she didn't notice that Kara's eyes were opened and watching her at first, as she kissed the top of her husband's bald head, who never even stirred, she then looked towards the bed and noticed Kara's eyes following her.

"Kara?! Ohmigosh!! Kara!!! You're awake!! Oh thank God!!" Penelope exclaimed loudly, waking up everyone in the room. As they all came awake at Penelope's cry they all turned to look at Kara.

Shouts of "Kara!!" "Princess!!" "Mommy!!" and Hotch's whispered and heartfelt, "Oh Baby," were lifted up in Kara's hearing. She laughed delightedly as they all surrounded her bed. She struggled to focus on what everyone was saying before she noticed Derek standing back from everyone else.

"Hey D, why are you hanging back there, come give your cousin a hug," she croaked out, her voice hoarse from un-use. Derek slowly walked over as he got close to her, Kara stared him in the eyes and admonished him, "Derek Morgan, you did not cause this. Obviously God and my body decided that I needed an extended period of rest. I want you to stop blaming yourself for this. Forgive yourself because you're the only one accusing anyone okay?"

Derek's eyes filled with tears and as he leaned over to hug her, he wept into her hair, "I'm sorry, I'm so so so sorry," he sobbed out.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. Trust me," she whispered back. As he stood up, Kara decided not to say anything to anyone about the fact that she was unable to feel or move her legs. She just continued to smile, happy to be awake at least. Shortly after, the doctor entered the room, having been alerted that Kara was awake. He ushered everyone out, assuring them that they could come back in once he'd finished his examination. Kara informed him about the inability to move her legs and he told her that with her having just come out of a coma, it would take a moment for all of the feeling to return to her extremities. She nodded her head and let him finish the examination. She sat back to wait for everyone to come back in when he walked out, her gaze unfocused as she realized that she didn't know what day it was.

"How long was I out?" she asked Hotch as soon as he walked back into the room, Judith in his arms.

"Five days," Hotch answered as he came closer, placing Judith on the bed as she clamored to get to her mother.

Kara slowly lifted her arms, her muscles straining from the task as she put her arms around Judith. "Five whole days?" she questioned in amazement.

"The longest five days of my life. Don't ever do that to me again. I don't think I could survive without you around," he replied as he leaned over to kiss her tenderly.

"I'll try to do better next time," Kara laughed.

"There better not be a next time," Hotch growled as he sat on the bed next to her.

Kara nodded, in complete agreement, turning to look at the beautiful twin boys that still slept in their hospital provided baby crib. "How are they?" she questioned no one in particular.

"Absolutely amazing," Penelope stated as she stood on the other side of the crib.

"They're five days old and I've never even held them," Kara complained as she noticed that Judith had plopped her thumb in her mouth and promptly fallen to sleep.

"Well, we can take care of that," Derek said as he lifted Judith into his arms.

Kara smiled as her parents lifted each little boy, one by one into their arms and handed them to her. As she cuddled Derek and Shawn, Kara felt her eyes fill with tears. "I thought that I was going to miss this. That I'd be gone and they'd grow up without me. I'm so glad that I got to hold them," she said brokenly as her tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I'm so glad that you came back also. I thought that I would never get the chance to hold you again and that I'd have to raise our kids all by myself," Hotch said as he pressed his lips against the side of her head.

"How long would you have kept me on the machine?" Kara inquired as she examined each of the newborns' fingers and toes.

"Until I was unable to make the decision anymore," Hotch answered without hesitation. Kara looked up at him in surprise. His eyebrows raised and then lowered as he realized that even after years of marriage she still didn't understand what she meant to him. "You still don't understand do you?" he questioned in amazement.

"Understand what?" Kara asked in confusion.

"Just how much I love you," Hotch stated. The rest of the room and its occupants disappeared as Hotch focused on Kara's face. "When I wake up every morning, your face is the first thing that I want to see. Nothing has the power to brighten my day, lift my spirits, or make my heart pound more than the sound of your voice or your smile. All you have to do is look at me and I become so aroused that it's all I can do to work everyday. If you gave me the opportunity, I would spend all day everyday, loving you. I love having children with you, I love being in love with you, I love being married to you. I love watching you do anything, say anything. I love watching you sleep. I could not bear to go through life if you weren't there, if you weren't in it. My heart's beat and it's echo is your name. I wouldn't pull the plug, I COULDN'T pull the plug if there was some chance, some minute possibility that you might come back to me. You are my life. My every breath. My love for you is never ending. It overwhelms my senses and is my every driving force. That's how much I love you," Hotch stated passionately as his hand caressed her face, wiping away her tears as they flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Wow," Kara, Penelope, Mary, Prentiss, Elle, and JJ all breathed. Kara ignored her coworkers and friends for the moment and kissed Hotch softly but passionately.

"I love you so much," she said as she looked into his eyes.

"I know," he smiled as he looked up at the other women in the room, "Hi there," he grinned.

"Well done Boss Man, well done," Penelope admired.

"Thanks. The words are easy when the feeling is true," Hotch accepted the compliment.

"So, anything interesting happen while I took my nap?" Kara asked the room. Everyone laughed as they realized that Kara was the same as she'd always been.

A week later, Kara finally went home from the hospital. Hotch was extremely happy that she was on maternity leave because she needed the time to rest and recuperate and he was relieved to have her home. A few days after she'd woken up, she'd began to regain function of her legs and that's when she'd confessed to him that she'd been afraid that she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life. As he followed her into their home, he was extremely happy that Kara's parents, Emily and Jacob, JJ and Will had all decided to take their kids for the night. Kara needed to rest and he would do whatever he had to do in order to make sure that she received that rest. He watched as she slowly walked down the hallway, looking around as she did.

"Where are the kids?" she inquired.

"Divided up between your parents, Prentiss, and JJ," Hotch answered as he set her bags down beside the door and followed her into the living room.

"Why?" Kara asked as she slowly sat down on the couch with a sigh.

"Because you need to rest and because I selfishly wanted you all to myself for one night," Hotch explained as he sat down on the couch and pulled her feet into his lap. Slowly he removed her shoes and began to massage her feet. Kara moaned in her throat at the sensations induced by the foot massage.

"That was really sweet actually," Kara moaned. Hotch continued massaging Kara's feet, moving up to her calves after a few minutes, trying to keep her muscles stimulated. As he did so, Kara's mind began to move rapidly. She thought of the last few years with Hotch and the BAU team, her kids, her family, her life and without thought she asked Hotch a question, "Aaron, if I decided I wanted to and then I asked you too, would you ever leave the BAU?"

_Times of great calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm.-Charles Caleb Colton_


	30. Separated

***A/N: You guys are great with the reviews! The more reviews I get, the more I am inspired to write more to this story. Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. Thanks again!**

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

_For everything there is a season,_

_And a time for every matter under heaven:_

_A time to be born, and a time to die;_

_A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;_

_A time to kill, and a time to heal;_

_A time to break down, and a time to build up;_

_A time to weep, and a time to laugh;_

_A time to mourn, and a time to dance;_

_A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;_

_A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;_

_A time to seek, and a time to lose;_

_A time to keep, and a time to throw away;_

_A time to tear, and a time to sew;_

_A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;_

_A time to love, and a time to hate,_

_A time for war, and a time for peace.-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8_

Hotch couldn't remember the last time that he and Kara had gotten into an argument as bad as the one they'd had when she'd come home from the hospital. He'd told himself that she was asking that question because of what she'd just been through and that she didn't really mean it, but he couldn't really make himself believe that. The look on her face had told him otherwise.

**Flashback**

"_**What?" Hotch had asked.**_

"_**If I decided I wanted to and then I asked you too, would you ever leave the BAU?" Kara had repeated looking at Hotch in his face, her gaze unwavering, her voice deadly serious.**_

"_**Are you leaving the BAU?" Hotch had questioned, confused at the conversation.**_

"_**Stop stalling Aaron and answer the question. If I came to you and I told you that I had decided to leave the BAU and I wanted you to leave it with me, would you do it?" Kara reiterated as she sat up on the couch to face him more directly.**_

"_**Well, I don't know. I mean I'd have to ask myself why you were asking me to leave the BAU and if your reasons were sensible and valid and if my leaving would be beneficial for the family…"**_

"_**If my reasons were sensible and valid? So what, are you saying that if they didn't make sense to you then you'd just brush them off?"**_

"_**That's not what I said. It's just that when I was with Hayley, shortly after Jack was born she'd decided that she didn't want me in the BAU and I just…" he'd stopped abruptly when he noticed the fury on Kara's face. She'd stood up very gracefully, her limbs moving perfectly well in the face of her anger. She'd stared down at him like an avenging angel, one hand on her hip, her eyes filling with angry tears quickly.**_

"_**I. Am. NOT. Hayley! After being married for years you still don't know that? Hayley wasn't there with you like I am. Hayley didn't go out in the field with you like I do. Hayley didn't do the job like I do. Hayley wasn't kidnapped and almost killed while she was pregnant. Hayley didn't face all of this…this…bullshit, right next to you! Hayley had one child that she had to worry about you not having the chance to watch grow up. I have SEVEN!! And one of them is your precious Hayley's son!! There are seven children that I worry about every time we get a case. Seven children that I'm afraid we won't get to watch grow up. So excuse me if I feel like just this ONCE my fears, my trepidations are a little more founded than Hayley's!" Kara had yelled, her body shaking from the force of her anger.**_

_**He should've apologized right then, but her words had tapped into his own insecurities and fears and he'd felt raw and exposed and had exploded. "No, Hayley wasn't kidnapped, but she was killed while our child was upstairs. And it was much worse for Hayley, she may not have been in the field with me, but she had to stay home and pray that everything went okay, which is much worse. This isn't about Hayley, this is about you just coming out of a coma and being afraid and you feeling out of control and wanting to gain control over some aspect of your life. I understand that, I do, but you knew what I did when you married me, hell, you were doing it too! This isn't something new for you. You knew who I was and what I did years ago, you can't go changing the rules of the game now!" he'd yelled back, having stood up also.**_

_**Kara jerked back as if he'd slapped her and as he'd thought of his words he realized that in some way he had. Tears flowed down her cheeks and her eyes which were normally filled with joy were suddenly dark and filled with sadness. She'd turned to walk away from him without another word and had jerked her arm away when he'd touched her. She'd walked around the couch and out of the family room where they'd been sitting, stopping at the base of the stairs, she'd inhaled deeply and then finally spoke, "You get my kids back here right now. All of them and then you find another room, another bed, another place to sleep, I really don't give a shit, but I don't want you laying in the bed next to me tonight. I don't want you touching me, I don't want you talking to me. Your words of love to me were just that, words. You're obviously still in love with Hayley and then it's your job, the fact that we couldn't even have a civilized conversation about a hypothetical situation has answered my question better than any response you could've given. I'm glad that I learned this now. I'm going upstairs to lay down, you can bring the twins in my room or put them in the nursery." Her voice had been monotone and emotionless, flat and devoid of all feeling. Normally such a passionate person, it had been her words, empty of all passion that had shocked him the most. He'd stood at the base of the stairs, his heart in his throat, the foolishness of his words crashing down on top of him, as he'd watched her slowly and gingerly climb the stairs toward their bedroom.**_

_**He'd gone and gotten the kids. His facial expression and his movements telling everyone more than his words ever could. The kids had been happy to be home and had raced upstairs to see their mother, even Jack who called her "Mama." He'd carried the twins upstairs in their baby carrier, stopping to help Judith up the stairs. When he'd come into the room, Kara had been sitting in the middle of the bed surrounded by their children, a gorgeous smile of love on her face, joy shining in her eyes as she listened to them talk. Her hands touching each of them as they talked. He'd lifted Judith onto the bed and she'd climbed in Kara's lap and promptly stuck her thumb in her mouth. He'd put the twins on the bed also and had stood there just watching her. She was in her element, she was always best when she was showing people that she loved them. He'd turned away and telling the kids that they were having pizza for dinner that night, he'd struggled to get himself under control. When he turned back around, the kids were looking at him, but Kara was looking at Derek and Shawn. He could feel the distance between them acutely. Sighing he'd walked downstairs and out the door to get the food, all without her saying one more word to him.**_

**End of Flashback**

That had been three weeks ago. There'd been two cases since then and while she'd let him talk to the kids on the phone, whenever he'd gone to talk to her she'd told him that there was nothing to talk about and had hung up the phone. While he didn't let his troubles at home affect his work, he was far too professional for that, he worked with profilers, he worked with the best profilers in the world, then there was Penelope, who had a sixth sense herself; they'd all known that something was going on when they saw him come into the office that first day. As time had gone on, they knew that the situation hadn't gotten better. Kara hadn't said anything to anyone on the team, not even Derek or Penelope which had really shocked him. He was hoping that he'd figure out some way to make it up to her, to fix the problem before it was too late.

Anyone that knew Kara knew that she was stubborn. It was something that you learned within the first fifteen minutes of talking to her. However, you also learned that her stubbornness was attached to her beliefs and values and most importantly her intelligence. No one could say that Kara was stupid. No one ever had. Kara sat on the back porch and watched as the kids played, Derek and Shawn sound asleep in their outdoor cribs beside her, underneath the umbrella, and sighed. She certainly felt stupid. As a matter of fact, she'd been calling herself stupid for the last two weeks. Yes, it had been three since she and Hotch had had their big fight, but that first week she'd been very much self-righteously indignant. But after a week she'd truly thought about things and knew that she'd probably overreacted just a bit. However, by this point it became a matter of pride. Could she put her pride aside enough to apologize to her husband? It had taken her a week for her to realize that if she wanted her marriage to work that she was going to have to. So why was it a week after that revelation and she still hadn't really talked to him? Well, she was stubborn, prideful and apparently very, very stupid. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to breathe. She could see things from his perspective, but he wasn't making an effort to see them from hers and that was probably what annoyed her the most.

Watching as her kids played "Duck-Duck-Goose" with a very reluctant Jack, she smiled. These were precious moments. Moments that she'd missed, moments that he'd missed because of some case. She didn't want to miss any more moments. She couldn't miss any more moments. Looking at the caller id on the phone when it rang, Kara was amazed to see Rossi's number there.

"Hello?" she answered, her gaze still focused on the kids who were now running around playing "Alphabet Tag" with each other.

"Kara?" Rossi asked on the other line.

"Yeah. What's up Rossi?" she questioned, as a horrible thought skittered across her mind, she clutched the phone, "Is Aaron okay?"

Rossi chuckled, he didn't know what was going on with Hotch and Kara but she obviously still loved him. "Yeah, Hotch is fine. Hey we've got this new case out in Montana, it's got some religious overtones, and I know you're on maternity leave, I was just wondering…" he hinted.

"Sure, I can do phone consultations. It's no problem," she agreed.

"Great! Thanks," Rossi thanked her profusely.

Kara hesitated and then asked quietly, "How's Aaron?"

Rossi smiled, he could see that a reconciliation was quickly approaching, "Miserable. He's trying to hide it, but whatever he did, he feels horrible about it. And we can all tell that he misses you a lot."

Kara sighed, "Yeah, I miss him too. Thanks Rossi."

"You're welcome," Rossi said. The two agents said goodbye and hung up. Rossi nodded at the rest of the team, excluding Hotch to let them know that things were on the mend, never thinking that he'd one day be playing matchmaker. Kara sighed and leaned her head back against the back of the seat and closed her eyes, trying to come up with a way to make up with her husband.

Derek walked out of his hotel room, his sweatpants slung low on his hips, pulling on his white wife beater, his bare feet silent on the hotel hallway carpet. He stopped in front of one door, inhaled deeply and knocked on the door. He waited with baited breath for the door to open, he smiled widely when the door open to reveal his wife, the smile freezing when she stood there with her cell phone to her ear and fury in her eyes. She waved him in with one hand and growled into the phone, "He said what?! Oh you're better than me Kara! If Derek had said something like that to me, I would've slapped the taste out of his mouth!"

Derek halted immediately at those words. What had he done wrong? He sat on the bed and listened with half an ear as his wife talked with his cousin about some problem with Hotch. When women started talking about the shortcomings and the faults of men, he made it a rule of thumb to not speak or bring any attention to himself. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and sent Hotch a quick text message: _Not sure what you said to Kara, but Pen knows and she's fired up. Apologize and quickly._ His reply came quickly and it surprised him: _I want to but we haven't talked for three weeks, I have no idea what to say. She wants me to leave the BAU._

Derek gasped at the thought. He'd never have pegged Kara to be that type of woman and instantly thought about her years with the team, she'd been through a lot, and she'd seen a lot but he was sure that she was strong enough to weather through it. She may have married a Hotchner, but she was still a Morgan for gods sake. Penelope hung up the phone and huffed, turning to Derek she glared at him. "Do you know what Hotch said to Kara?" she asked angrily.

Derek sighed, he wasn't about to let his cousin's problem with her husband affect his night with his wife. He grabbed Penelope's hand and pulled her to him. She stood in front of him, her mouth moving rapidly as she told him about the argument that Kara and Hotch had the day she got out of the hospital. He refused to think about it. He kissed the back of both of her hands and lifted the bottom of her hot pink nightshirt. Standing slowly, his lips slowly trailed up from her stomach to the valley between her breasts to her neck as he slowly pulled the shirt off. He leaned back a little to look down at her, her breasts encased in a bright purple bra. He smiled when he noticed the pink butterflies where her nipples were. Not stopping her rant, she continued to talk as he removed her bra and then kneeled before her and removed her slippers, her pajama pants and her panties. Standing back up he took off her glasses and pulled off the scrunchie that held up her blonde curls. Running his fingers through her hair, she smiled as she moaned.

"Derek, I'm trying to talk to you about Kara and Hotch and you're just trying to undress me," she whined.

"Wrong again Mrs. Morgan, I'm trying to make love to you, I just have to undress you to do so," Derek laughed as he kneeled in front of her again. Lifting one leg over one of his shoulders, he inhaled her scent and then kissed her center. He smiled as she squealed at the kiss. He knew that it wouldn't take long for her to completely forget about Kara and Hotch and so he put his mind, his mouth, his tongue, his teeth, and his fingers to the task.

Penelope sighed as the sensations rolled over her. She heard as Derek gave one final groan and collapsed on top of her. She giggled. It had only taken Derek five minutes to make her completely numb, another five minutes to make her body shake and another five minutes after that to make her mind blank. She could always count on her husband to rock her world. As he lay down beside her she groaned in pure satisfaction.

"Derek Morgan, you sure do that well," she smiled. She felt the bed rumble as he chuckled.

"Why thank you Mrs. Morgan, you bring out the best in me," he answered.

"Glad to know it," as her mind refocused, she rolled over and leaned over Derek whose eyes were closed, "Derek?" she whispered as her finger traced a pattern on his chest.

"Yeah Baby?" he whispered back, his breath hitching as her finger moved around his nipple.

"How are we going to help Kara and Hotch?" she questioned, her voice low and seductive.

"Aaww Baby, c'mon! Let Kara and Hotch work out Kara and Hotch," he moaned as he sat up, folding his muscled arms across his expansive muscled chest.

"Derek! C'mon now. This is Kara and Hotch we're talking about here. Remember? They love each other so much and this separation is tearing them apart. And I can understand how Kara feels. I feel the same way sometimes. You go off on cases and I always think about our twins. I think about raising them on my own. I think about them growing up without you. I think about asking you to quit the BAU and to do real estate full time. I don't ask you that because I know that you won't and honestly I can't see you doing anything else. But with Kara and Hotch it's different. Just because of his position alone, it makes him and his family a target, and there's just something about Kara that seems to draw people to her. They've got seven kids, seven, and she's already gone through so much, I mean she was kidnapped all because she was married to him. I know we look at her and we think of her strength, but a person can only be broken so much before they become irreparable. She's been through a lot Derek, more than you or I or even Hotch can even imagine and she's borne it all gracefully. She deserves this Derek. You know that if she suggested it now that means she's been thinking about it, looking at it from every angle for the past year. I'm not saying that they should leave the BAU, I mean I can't imagine doing this without them, but they should at least talk about it," Penelope explained, her sage wisdom shining through.

"You're right, we'll talk to them when we get back home," Derek amended, nodding as he saw the situation from Penelope's and Kara's point of view.

"Thanks my sexy Adonis," Penelope grinned as she laid her head on his chest.

"You're welcome, I only hope that we can get through to them," Derek sighed as his body relaxed.

Hotch walked into the front door of his home and sighed deeply. He was exhausted. Between the stress of the case and the stress of the strain in his marriage he felt like he could sleep forever. He walked quietly up the stairs, dropping his ready bag into the hallway closet right next to Kara's. Stopping to look in on each of the children, he smiled when he noticed the twins in the nursery. He paused outside of the master bedroom. He hadn't slept there for three and a half weeks. Having slept in the guest bedroom downstairs instead. He opened the door and stepped inside, needing to just see her, to smell her…he needed his wife. He ached for his wife. They might not have made up, but he needed to at least see her before he went to bed that night. When she wasn't laying in the bed he panicked. Where was she? His head swung to the balcony doors when he heard her voice singing softly. As he walked closer he realized that she was singing, "Unforgettable," the song that she'd first sang to him. He stood to listen to her sing. When she finished the song he heard her voice very quietly as she spoke.

"I missed you," she said.

He walked out of the doors and stood staring at her. His eyes moved over her face, caressing every feature, she was so beautiful to him, so amazing. "I missed you too, more than I can say," he whispered back.

"Stay with me tonight? I know that we haven't settled anything and I know you're probably really angry with me, and I know I overreacted, but I just really need you tonight. I need to feel your arms around me, I just love you so much and it's been eating me up inside, our separation and I'm so sorry, so very sorry-" her words were abruptly cut off as he grabbed her into his arms and crushed his lips down on hers.

"I'll stay with you forever. Please don't send me away. I'm sorry for what I said, I should've listened to you. I should've tried to see things from your point of view. I love you too and we'll work out everything, just don't push me away again, don't stop talking to me. I can't bear it," he said frantically in between kisses.

"I promise," Kara cried back, tears streaming down her face, so glad to have her husband home. Though they desperately wanted to, they weren't able to make love that night, holding each other instead. But as they held each other, they whispered words of love and talked about all that had happened while they'd been apart. The issue of their leaving the BAU would still have to be dealt with but for now, they were only focused on their reconciliation.

_Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.-Alfred Lord Tennyson _

_*A/N: Alphabet Tag is something that I created for the After School Program that I used to run. It helps to teach the kids the alphabet as with each person that they tag they have to say the letter of the alphabet that comes next. For the older kids, we did subjects like "States Tag" or "Multiplication Tag" it makes it fun and interesting. I look forward to your reviews. Please R&R.*  
_


	31. Reconciliation

***A/N: Yeah this chapter is DEFINITELY getting a rating of M. Maybe even NC-17. Hahaha. No, really it's going to be rated M. Hotch and Kara have to reconcile and they're going to do it properly.***

***CBS owns Criminal Minds, I'm only a fan.***

"_The best reason to have a fight in a relationship is the make-up sex that follows it. It's worth starting a fight over something stupid."-Veronica Victorian_

Kara woke up slowly, her body extremely warm, her head pillowed on a firm, muscled chest. Yawning delicately she slowly tilted her head back and found herself looking into the eyes of her husband. Neither of them spoke, taking a moment to just gaze into each other's eyes. After a few minutes of just looking at each other, Hotch finally spoke. "Good morning," his deep voice caused his chest to rumble beneath her cheek.

Kara sighed happily, "Good morning. So I didn't dream it? You came home last night and we made up?" she asked her voice so filled with joy and hope that it made her sound like a young girl.

Hotch chuckled, "If you dreamt it, then I dreamt it too because that's what I remember."

Kara rolled over so that she was lying fully on top of him and leaning down she captured his lips with her own, balancing herself on her outstretched arms. She sighed as she felt his arms surround her, one hand going into her hair, the other caressing her up and down her back. She deepened the kiss, slowly allowing her body to sink into his. As he rolled her over, she sank her fingers deep into his hair, her other hand gliding up and down his bare chest. She groaned in protest when he pulled away.

"W-wh-what are you doing?" she panted out.

"We can't do this baby," he grunted as he forced himself to lift away from her.

"Why?" she whined.

"Because you had twins four weeks ago, you were in a coma three and a half weeks ago…I don't want to hurt you, I can't bear the thought of it," he stated emphatically.

Kara sighed and lowered her head, then turning to her nightstand she disconnected her cell phone from its charger and dialed her OB/GYN's number putting the phone on speaker. She smiled at Hotch when Dr. Jackson answered the phone. "Hi, Dr. Jackson?! It's Kara Hotchner. Hey that whole, no having sex for six weeks thing, that purely a precautionary measure right? If I feel okay with it, I can go ahead and do it?" she asked.

Dr. Jackson's laugh was heard clearly, "Itching for it huh?" she asked the new mother.

"Desperately," Kara and Hotch said simultaneously.

Dr. Jackson's laughter was full and hearty as she heard the frustration in the couple's voices, "Yes, it is purely precautionary, most women are still too tender and too sore to try to resume normal sexual activities for a few weeks or even a few months. Doctors just pulled the six weeks out of their hats, but whenever a woman feels that she can resume that rigorous sexual schedule that her body is used to, she is able to do so. Just be careful the first few times, realize that it is going to be tender and sore. But it's been four weeks and honestly Kara, with you having been in a coma for five days, your body received five full days of nutrients, rest and nonstop healing, it wasn't expending energy or engaging in any type of physical activity, which was very good for you so I see no reason for you to not be able to resume your sex life," she advised.

"Dear God, thank you so much Dr. Jackson," Hotch groaned out as he lifted Kara's left foot and began to kiss each toe before sucking one into his mouth. Kara groaned in pleasure seconds before she hurriedly said goodbye and hung up the phone. She laid back and enjoyed the sensations as he kissed, licked and sucked her toes and worshipped each foot before hearing the cries of the twins on the baby monitor. Talk about putting a stop to their amorous attentions. Their cries was like dumping an icy cold bucket of water on top of them both. They both groaned in frustration as Hotch slowly lowered Kara's foot. She sat up and laughing, stood up from the bed and kissed Hotch gently on the lips. "Tonight," she promised as she turned to walk away. He grabbed her hand, "Promise?" his voice was a low, masculine growl of sexual anticipation.

His voice sent shivers of need down her spine and she moaned low in her throat, "Promise," she answered her voice husky with want. Kissing him one last time, Kara slowly removed her hand from his and walked down the hallway to the nursery, her baby blue, ankle-length, cotton nightgown flowing out behind her. As she walked into the room she noticed that it was only baby Derek that was crying, while baby Shawn was awake he was merely watching her. "Of course it would be you Derek. You're taking after your predecessor. He hates to think about me having sex and even though I'm over 30 and married, he'd do anything he could to stop it from happening," Kara whispered teasingly to the infant as she lifted him gently into her arms and carried him to the changing table.

"Mama? Do you need some help with the babies?" she heard Jack's sleepy voice from the doorway. Turning to the little boy who seemed to get bigger every day, she watched as he slung his golden locks out of his face as he looked at her. Hotch said that he saw Hayley when he looked at Jack, and while she could definitely see that Jack got his blonde hair from his beautiful mother, Kara saw her husband every time she looked at his son.

"Thank you Jack, but I think I got it. Can you go wake up everyone else though? I think we'll have Daddy take us out to IHOP for breakfast," she smiled at him.

"Yay!" Jack yelled out excitedly as he took off for the room that Emie and Liz shared. Kara laughed as she heard him waking up his siblings, happy once again that they'd gotten a house with so many bedrooms and that Hotch had agreed to add on two guest bedrooms off the library downstairs. As she finished changing Baby Derek's diaper, she lifted him up and inhaled his fresh baby scent.

"You smell so good. I could sniff you all day," she told the baby who giggled.

"Well, that's interesting to hear," Hotch laughed as he stepped into the nursery, taking Baby Derek into his arms, he rocked the infant, placing a pacifier in his mouth. "What are they wearing today?"

"Um…Penelope bought them this really cute 'Miniature Derek Morgan' outfit, it hanging up in the closet. They're black shirts and black pants then there are some little black shoes for them to put on," Kara directed him as she picked up Baby Shawn.

"Miniature Derek Morgan outfits? I'm their father, what about me?" Hotch asked in feigned hurt and disappointment.

Laughing, Kara answered as she powdered the now dry Baby Shawn, "Well honey, they're not big enough for little baby suits, but don't worry, when they turn three months, I'm all on that for you."

Hotch laughed at the good-natured teasing. Happy that they had returned to some semblance of normalcy. As he finished dressing Baby Derek and traded him with Kara for Baby Shawn, his eyes looked at the family tree on the wall. It now bore the fully connected line between him and Kara and it had six lines underneath their connected names that had all of their children's names and their birthdates, along with the line underneath his name and Hayley's. He sighed as he began dressing Baby Shawn, he'd missed Kara adding the twins names to the tree. He'd had a case. He always had a case. They always had a case. He understood what Kara had been afraid of. How much of his kids' lives was he missing because of these cases? But he also saw it much deeper and farther than Kara did. How many potential serial killers or currently incarcerated serial killers saw him and his family as their big score? He had the protection of the FBI and the BAU right now to help protect his family, but if they quit and then something happened or someone came after them, how would he protect them? How would he save his family? Giving himself a mental shake, Hotch turned and smiled at Kara.

"So what's for breakfast?" he asked.

"Oh, I promised Jack and the kids that you'd take us out to IHOP," Kara admitted sheepishly as she placed Baby Derek in his baby carrier.

"Oh really?" Hotch chuckled, at her look of seductive persuasion, "Fine, go get dressed and I'll get the kids dressed and their teeth brushed and then you can do the girls' hair and we'll go out for breakfast."

"Great!" Kara enthused as she kissed him once more and walked quickly to their bedroom to change. Looking down at his sons who were avidly looking up at him from their carrier, Hotch decided to give them a bit of advice. Lifting the double carrier, he walked with it to the master suite sitting room and clipped it on the attachable swing that stood there.

"Here's your advice for the day, you must always listen to your mother. You must always do your best to make and keep her happy. When she talks you have to listen. Your mother has the most amazing voice and when you get old enough to fully appreciate her singing, you have to let her know that you love her voice. Your mother is hilarious so be sure to laugh at all of her jokes. She likes to talk A LOT, but she always has something interesting to say, so pay attention. She is one of the smartest, most beautiful women in the world, after her it's your sisters, the other women in your family and everyone else. And finally, being loved by your mother is the most amazing feeling and the most amazing miracle that you or I will ever experience. Don't ever take that for granted," Hotch advised his infant sons. Their cooing voices let him know that they not only heard him, but that they understood and agreed.

In the bathroom, Kara smiled, sure that Hotch had forgotten that they'd had an intercom system placed in the house and anticipating that he'd bring the twins into the sitting room while he took care of the other children, she'd turned on the system so that she could hear them. She'd heard his entire speech to the boys and she knew then that she'd married the most amazing man in the world. They had to have some alone time that night, they just had too.

When the Hotchners went out to breakfast it was always an adventure. Usually it was Kara and Hotch with their five children, however, with the twins they now had seven children and two adults. As they walked into the restaurant Kara smiled as she realized that at least they didn't have Derek, Penelope and their twins with them, it really would've been crazy then. No sooner had she had that thought then she heard her name being called, looking up from the baby carrier where she'd been rearranging the blanket over the boys, Kara found herself looking at Penelope who was waving wildly from where she sat with Derek, Shemar, and Kirsten. She looked at her cousin-in-law in shock and then looked to Hotch for an explanation. "Aaron? What are Penelope and Derek doing here?"

Hotch turned from the hostess and looked over to where Derek and Penelope sat, he turned to look at Kara, "Well honey, it's not like we have this particular IHOP on private reserve. It is public they can come if they want and I would think that they were coming to eat," he teased.

Kara stuck out her tongue at him playfully as Jack walked up, "I called Uncle Derek, Mama. I told him that we were coming to IHOP for breakfast," the little boy explained.

"Why would you do that son?" Hotch asked.

Jack blushed and bowed his head in guilt before explaining, "He called yesterday when you all were getting ready to come back. Mama was in the nursery with the babies and I answered. He told me to call either him or Aunt Pen to let them know what we did today so that they could get you and Mama back together."

Kara and Hotch turned to look at each other in shock. Derek and Penelope were using their son to help them set them up? Looking up at the hostess who informed them that there was a table open next to their friends, Kara quickly came up with a plan to teach the two busybodies a lesson. Turning to Hotch she said quietly and quickly as they followed the hostess to their table, "Pretend that we haven't made up. Maybe we can get them to take the kids for a few days and go off on vacation." Kara watched as Hotch's eyes lit up at the idea and he nodded quickly. Fixing their faces into ones of annoyance and frustration, they got the kids settled and then sat down.

"Hey you two! What brings you out today?" Penelope asked, her smile wavering as she noticed the expressions on the faces of the two parents.

Turning her head to look at Hotch, Kara turned back towards Penelope and Derek and rolled her eyes, "The kids needed to eat and I didn't feel like cooking, so I decided to take them out for breakfast and then someone else decided to join us at the last minute," she grumbled, her fake annoyance sounding real to her concerned relatives.

"They're my kids too Kara, I have a right to come out to breakfast with them. And lest you forget you're still my wife, so I can come out with you also," Hotch stated, his voice sounding angry to Derek and Penelope.

"Hey man, chill out a little bit. It was an innocent answer. Besides, you guys have the kids with you remember?" Derek said suddenly wary of his plan to try and get Kara and Hotch alone with each other.

"Exactly. We promised to be on our best behavior for the kids. Besides, that whole me being your wife thing is only a temporary issue anyway," Kara huffed out.

"What?! Kara! You don't mean that!" Penelope gasped out as she absentmindedly pulled the butter knife out of Shemar's hand. Shemar stuck out his tongue at his mother and then stuffed a piece of bacon in his mouth and chewed it with vigor.

"Oh yes I do," Kara debated, "You know he didn't even want to talk about what I was feeling? He didn't even want to see my side of it all. I can't be married to someone like that."

Although Hotch knew that Kara was putting on an act for Derek and Penelope's benefit, he had a feeling that the hurt he heard in her voice was very real. He felt bad all over again that he hadn't talked to her. That he'd just gotten angry and had brought Hayley's name into their discussion. He knew that he'd have to make it up to her, just as soon as he could get her alone.

"C'mon cuz, at least hear him out. You know what?" Derek snapped his fingers as an idea came to him, "Why don't you guys get away for a few days? We've got a week off. Apple Head, I'm sure that your parents wouldn't mind taking some of the kids, Pen and I will take the boys and we'll take the girls to your parents house."

Kara was always shaking her head no even as she smiled inwardly, she knew that Derek would offer to take the kids for them. He was a problem solver, especially when it came to her. "Derek, we couldn't ask you to do that, you've already got two kids," she protested.

"No, it will be no trouble. And actually Prentiss was just telling me that she wanted to spend some time with Jack and A.J. so we could take them over to her and then we'll just take the twins and then take the girls to your parents. That's a great idea Baby," Penelope denied as she smiled, seeing it as being a great opportunity for Kara and Hotch to maybe reconnect.

Kara folded her arms as the waitress came over to take their order. After ordering for all of the kids, she sighed and shrugged one delicate shoulder, her curled light brown hair falling behind her brown leather jacket clad shoulder. Looking at Hotch she winked so that only he could see, "I wouldn't mind, but he probably won't want to, he'd be too far away if a case came up."

Hotch was already shaking his head in a negative manner, "That's not true. I'm game if you are. I don't want two divorces, and regardless of this impasse we find ourselves at, I do still love you," he stated.

"Then it's settled," Derek declared, afraid that Kara would say something sarcastic and start another argument. "When we finish breakfast we'll call Prentiss and Aunt Mary and Uncle Travin and have them meet us at your place."

"Fine," Kara huffed shrugging her shoulders as she jumped for joy internally. The rest of the breakfast was relatively quiet, the only noise coming from the children who talked to each other and the twins who cooed and whined every so often. When breakfast was over, Hotch and Derek grabbed the checks to go and pay as Kara and Penelope got the kids together and got them ready to go. Penelope looked at Kara and smiled tightly at her. "Kara, are you okay? You don't have to tell me what you think I want to hear, tell me the truth, are you really okay? I mean about all of this? You just had kids, you just got out of the hospital, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. You know better than we do if this is actually going to work for you and Hotch," she provided.

Kara found herself fighting the feeling of guilt that rose within her, she opened her mouth to confess that she and Hotch had made up the night before when that man walked up and said gruffly, "Okay, let's get out of here," in a voice so filled with annoyance and thinly veiled anger that Kara had an instinctive reaction. Her shoulders stiffened, her eyes narrowed and she balled her fists. Looking at Penelope she answered her, "Oh we need this, even if it just gives me time to decide whether to leave him or kill him, we need this." Her answer shocked everyone standing there, even Kara, but she gave herself a small shake and picking up the handle of the carrier holding the twins, she took Judith's hand and walked out of the restaurant followed by everyone else.

It took four hours. Four hours of phone calls, packing, repacking, goodbyes, hugs, kisses, and instructions before the kids were off to where they would spend the next week. Kara and Hotch sighed simultaneously, then picking up their own suitcases they climbed into Hotch's SUV and left for the airport. They were finally getting away…for a whole week. Kara sighed happily and looked over at Hotch as they walked into the airport. "Where are we going?" she asked for the twelfth time.

Hotch laughed in unconcealed delight, "It's a surprise," he said again. As the couple walked up to the ticket counter to acquire their tickets, Kara bounced slightly as she waited for the ticket reservationist to hand her the tickets.

"Here you are Mrs. Hotchner, you are sitting in First Class Seat 3 and your husband is in First Class Seat 4. This is a nonstop flight to your destination. Enjoy your trip," the young woman, Amber, said. Kara smiled at the twentyish year old redhead and gracefully accepted her ticket. Looking down at her ticket she gasped. Lifting her eyes to her husband who stood there with a proud grin on his face, she let out a loud squeal of delight and launched herself into his arms, her arms wrapping around his neck and her legs wrapping around his waist.

"You're taking me to Italy?! ITALY!!!! I can't believe it!! Oh I love you sooo much!!" Kara squealed in between kisses as she kissed his face.

Hotch laughed as he held her in his arms, so glad that she was happy with the surprise and so happy to have her back in his arms. "Okay baby, if you don't get down, we're going to miss our flight," he chuckled.

"Oh, yeah, right," Kara slid down his body seductively, her eyes smoldering with barely banked passion and desire. Hotch knew that look, he knew that it meant she was extremely turned on, which only served to turn him on. Feeling himself harden in his black jeans, he bent down to pick up their carry-on bags and smiled at Amber, accepted his ticket and followed Kara to their assigned gate.

Their flight was pretty uneventful, the couple sitting in their seats, making out frequently. They didn't talk about their children, though they thought of them often. They didn't talk about their jobs or their family and friends back home though it was all on their minds. They focused on each other, on reconnecting and knew that at some point during the week they would have to talk about the big issue. Stepping up to the car reservation desk, Hotch gave his name and accepted the keys and walked up to Kara. Kissing her softly on her forehead, he grabbed their bags and led her to their vehicle. He drove her to the villa that he'd rented for the week and leaving their bags in the car walked her inside. He closed the door and grabbed her hand to pull her back to him. Lowering his head he kissed her deeply, spearing his hands in her hair, the pins that held her hair up falling to the floor beneath them. Kara moaned and stretched up to put her arms around Hotch's neck. Hotch's lips drifted from her lips over her cheeks to the point right underneath her left ear. He sucked and kissed the area, chuckling when her fingers clenched in his hair. He looked up and saw that her head was thrown back, her eyes closed, her mouth slightly open as she panted in pleasure. Hotch lifted his left hand from her hair and drifted it over Kara's shoulder, his right hand wrapped tightly around her waist. Needing to feel her bare skin, his hands unbuttoned the lilac colored shirt that she was wearing and pulled it off. He leaned back for a moment to admire her as she stood in front of him in her red bra and black shorts. Leaning forward he placed light kisses on the tops of her breasts. Smiling when she moaned from the sheer sensation. Sticking out his tongue, he traced the tops of them, drifting down to the lace of the cups. Drifting his fingers up to the straps of her bra, he pulled them down and off her arms until her breasts were exposed to his ravenous gaze. Kissing her left nipple he listened to her moan and then sucked it into his mouth, the taste of her like honey. They both moaned simultaneously. Hotch felt himself grow extremely hard in his jeans and wanted to thrust inside of her right then, but this was their moment of reconciliation so he knew he had to do it right. Reaching his left hand up he lightly pinched her right nipple, cupping her breast in his hand as he laved her other nipple with his tongue, sucking it into his mouth. His right hand drifted down and he grabbed her right ass cheek, squeezing it gently before lightly smacking it. He heard her squeal with delight and smiled before switching nipples. Reaching his hands down he unbuckled the belt at her waist, then unbuttoned her shorts. Pulling down the zipper he then pulled down her shorts, kneeling at her feet he pulled off her shorts and her heels. Looking up he gasped when he noticed that she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"You like?" she giggled.

"Very much," he groaned. Placing his hands on her ass he pulled her closer to him and placed a kiss on her shaved center. Opening his mouth he placed it directly over her most intimate spot and sucked lightly. Sticking out his tongue he ran it from the bottom to the top of her privates. Licking her clit he groaned as she grabbed his hair and tried desperately to remain standing upright. Sticking his tongue deep inside of her, he groaned again as her taste assailed his senses, she tasted of the sweetest ambrosia, a mixture of strawberries, pineapples and something that was uniquely Kara, a taste he was addicted to, a taste that he would never forget. Sticking two fingers of his left hand deep within her, he kissed up her body and sucked her left nipple back into his mouth, his fingers moving in and out of her slowly.

"Aaron," Kara panted.

"Yeah baby?" Hotch asked pulling his mouth away from her breast, his fingers still moving within her.

"My turn," she panted out again. Fully understanding what she meant, Hotch slowly removed his fingers from within her, rubbing her clit lightly as he did so. Standing in front of her, he allowed her to quickly take off his shirt and unbutton and remove his pants, boxers, socks and shoes. As he stood before her nude he watched her as she slowly stood up and kissed his collarbone. Her soft lips drifted down his chest. He sucked in a harsh breath as she lightly licked on of his nipples, her hands drifting up and down his chest and back. Her lips drifted lower, over his abs and down to his fully erect manhood. As she took him into her hand they both moaned with pleasure. Leaning forward she kissed the tip before licking it from the base to the tip. Hotch threw his head back, leaning against the door, his hands clenching in his own hair before lowering to find purchase in hers. As she took him into her mouth, Hotch groaned her name deeply. Kara took him deeply into her mouth, moaning from his taste as he moaned from the pleasure, lowering and easing away from his manhood, she quickly found a rhythm as she sucked him. After a few minutes, Hotch removed her lips from him and stood her up.

"Enough," he growled as he lifted her up into his arms. Kara wrapped her legs around his waist and he felt his shaft touch her moist center, groaning he lowered her down slowly. They both sighed at that moment, all thought completely leaving their minds. Hotch saw a hall table down the hallway and slowly walked towards it, Kara slightly moving upon his dick. Lowering her upon the table, he hoped that it would hold as he lifted her legs onto his shoulders and pushed in deeper. They both groaned and Hotch began to move within her. Slowly and deeply he moved, steadily getting faster, the vase on the hall table crashing to the floor as the couple made love with wild abandon, after a few moments, Hotch lifted Kara off the table, withdrew from within her turned her around and bending her over, entered her from behind. The new position caused Kara to groan so deeply that Hotch gritted his teeth to prevent himself from coming too quickly. Moving within her again, he struggled to maintain himself. Kara leaned forward completely, laying her head on the table and clutched the sides of it.

"Oh God, Aaron," she moaned, biting her lip.

Hotch ran his fingers down her back, smacking her ass again, slightly harder this time. Lifting her up he clutched her breasts in his hands as he thrust within her faster. "Come with me baby," he grunted as he felt himself drawing near. As Kara's orgasm crashed over her, Hotch felt his own crashing over him. His eyes squeezed shut, explosions of light flashing behind his closed eyelids, his heartbeat pausing for a few seconds, it started again shortly after, beating wildly. As he slowly pulled out of her, he gasped for air as he heard Kara gasping as well.

Lifting her into his arms, he walked with her up the hallway and into the first bedroom that he came to. Laying her down gently underneath the sheets, he watched as her eyelids fluttered closed. "I love making up with you Aaron Hotchner," she murmured sleepily. He laughed as he realized that she was still awake. Leaning down he kissed her lightly on the lips, "And I love you Kara Ann Hotchner." Standing up from the bed, he walked back to the front door, pulling on his shirt, boxers and pants before walking outside to grab their bags.

So went their week. They made love constantly and when they weren't making love, which wasn't often, they were eating and talking. Talking about life and talking about their jobs. Hotch finally listened to Kara's apprehensions and fears and shared some of his own. Finally coming to a compromise of sorts, they both agreed that they would leave the bureau within the next five years, Hotch was shocked when Kara told him her idea for making sure that the family would be safe and while it went against his normal, stay and fight personality, he could see the wisdom in her plan.

It was a different couple that walked into their Virginia home when their week was over. Smiling, laughing, and more in love than when they'd first gotten married, they found that they were looking forward to getting their children back. Kara kissed Hotch as she took their two new suitcases, with their new purchases from Italy upstairs into their room. Hotch placed their suitcases beside the door and opening his cell phone, called Derek.

"Hotch! What's up man?! How'd it go? How are you and Kara?" Derek asked in rapid succession.

"Better than when we first got married. We talked and we worked it out. We compromised and I see things from her point of view and she sees them from mine. We're good. Thanks for the suggestion," Hotch smiled, his joy evident in his voice.

"Glad to help. So you ready to get your kids back?" Derek chuckled.

Hotch laughed in delight, "Yeah, Kara and I missed them a lot. Think you could work it out for me?"

"I'm on it," Derek agreed before hanging up.

Hotch closed his phone and sighed. It would be hard leaving the bureau, the BAU, and with Kara's plan, while it would give them a life, it would be hard to leave everything behind, but it was the best for them. It was the best thing for their family. He'd do whatever he had to do to keep his family together. He wasn't going to lose another wife.


	32. Devastation

***A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews and for adding the story to your alerts and your favorites. I appreciate it very much. Because of you I am inspired to write more!***

***I do NOT own Criminal Minds. I just love the show…a lot.***

_By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.-Confucius_

Hotch woke up and found himself alone in bed. He rolled over and saw his wife standing out on the balcony, her position one of dejection and hopelessness. He stood up and walked to her, grabbing his robe and covering his nude body. Wrapping his arms around her waist he whispered in her ear, "Good morning Mrs. Hotchner, what has you so pensive?"

Kara sighed and turned in his arms to look at him, "I'm just thinking. About life, the kids, you, me, the team, just…stuff."

"Is it really that bad?" Hotch teased.

Kara shrugged. Hotch realized then that she was serious. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I…I'm so scared Aaron," Kara confessed, "I'm scared to go back to work, I'm scared not to go back to work. I want to work. I want to help catch the bad guys, but then again I want to stay home and play with the kids. I want to stay in bed and make love to you all day. I'm so confused, I'm so torn. But the worst thing of it is, every morning that I wake up I ask myself, is this it? Is this the day that an UnSub kills me or my husband? Is this the day that an UnSub finds our kids? Is this the day?" she admitted her biggest fear, her body shaking.

Hotch stepped back slightly in shock, "I had no idea that it was such a major issue for you," he admitted.

Kara closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall, "I didn't either, but I got up this morning to feed the twins and after I put them back to bed I had this flashback of when Karl kidnapped me. Then that made me think about Hayley and George Foyett. Then I thought about Arthur and then I thought about Robert Brody and Geoffrey Smith," she sighed again, "I thought about how they affected my life. I thought about how my life would be affected if they came after you or the kids." She walked around him and went back into their bedroom. She sat down on the edge of the bed and cried softly, she leaned into Hotch as he took her into his arms, "I just can't do this anymore Aaron. I can't…I mean, I don't think I can. I'm not saying that you have to quit, I know that I can't ask you to do that, but I just-" her voice choked on a sob. She collapsed into tears, "I'm sorry," she panted out through her tears.

Hotch held her close to him as she cried, his heart breaking over her fears. He had no idea how to ease them. "Today's your first day back right?" he remembered, smiling slightly when she nodded her head softly. "Why don't you postpone it a day? Take another day and really think about it. We're okay financially, you don't have to work if you don't want to. If you want to stay home with the kids you can. It's completely your decision," he reasoned.

Kara nodded again, saying nothing. She felt like such a big cry baby. She felt like a wuss, a whimp, for the first time in her life she didn't feel fearless, strong, independent, she felt out of control. She watched as her husband stood up with a final kiss to her forehead and then walked towards the bathroom to shower. When she heard the shower start she picked up the phone and dialed her parents, asking them if they could come and watch the kids for a few hours. She knew that it was going to require more of an explanation than what she'd originally given them, being as vague as possible, she answered their questions and then hung up after telling them that she loved them. A few minutes later she looked up at Hotch when he opened the door to the bathroom and walked out, a towel slung low on his waist. She loved him so much, she loved her children so much, she couldn't imagine something happening to them because of her job or because of his job. She couldn't deal with that. She took Hotch's hand as he walked over to her to kiss her again.

"Yeah baby?" he asked.

She inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering close for a moment before she spoke, "I have an idea. You probably won't like it. But hear me out okay?" She waited until he nodded before she started talking. As Hotch listened to her detailed plan. He sat down heavily on the bed as she continued to talk. Her idea, her plan wasn't something new, it was something that she'd been thinking about…a lot. It went against everything that he'd believed, but as he looked at her and really listened to her words he realized that she mattered more to him than anything else.

Looking deeply into her eyes he sighed and nodded, "How long do you think it would take to do all of that?"

Kara looked at him, her gaze amazed at his agreement, "I don't know, three months maybe?" she estimated.

"Nothing means more to me than you and our children. You know that right?" he told her.

Kara nodded, "I do now. I know that you wanted to become Director of the Bureau, are you sure?" she asked.

Hotch smiled, "That means nothing to me if my wife and children are living in constant fear. We'll work this out. You'll see." He kissed her again before rising to get dressed.

"I'll be in later, I just need to take an hour or two to myself," Kara stated.

"I understand," Hotch said from the closet before walking out, his tie slung around his neck. Kara stood and walked over to him, taking the ends of his tie in her hands she deftly arranged his tie. After settling the knot into position, she leaned up and kissed him passionately.

"I'll see you later," he whispered against her lips before walking out. Kara knew that he would stop and check on each child before leaving the house, the thought of that settled her tumultuous spirit, grabbing a black T-shirt, a pair of black jeans, a black belt with silver studs, and her black boots she headed off towards the shower.

"We've got a case in Hawaii," JJ said, "Four men, all United States Naval sailors, all murdered within the past two weeks, all off base."

"How are they killing military personnel?" Derek asked as he stared at the board.

"All four men were discovered in different places. One in front of a strip club, one in front of a bar, one out at the beach, one on the steps of a church," JJ explained.

"Are there any defensive wounds?" Rossi questioned.

"The local M.E. didn't notice any," JJ answered.

"So there's some way that he's getting military personnel, men who are trained to not trust, men who are trained to fight back and never quit, to go with him and trust him to a certain degree," Prentiss reasoned.

"Where's Kara? I bet she'd have some insight into this. She seems to know the military mindset pretty well," Reid admitted, his voice bearing admiration for Kara's insight.

"She'll meet us on the plane, she needed a little time to herself this morning," Hotch stated offhandedly, "Are they all being murdered the same way?" he inquired after a few moments, ignoring the shocked looks from the rest of the team.

"They were all strangled after experiencing blunt force trauma," JJ answered.

"So the UnSub is able to not only get military men to trust him enough to go with him, but is able to have the element of surprise in order to hit them over the head and then strangle them? He's bold," Reid worked out the information aloud.

"Alright, everyone, wheels up in an hour," Hotch stated rising from his seat.

"I'll go get Kara, Hotch," Derek stated as he headed for the door.

"How are you going to do that? I don't even know where she went," Hotch said as he opened his cell phone to send Kara a text message.

"You may have married her Hotch, but I've known her, her entire life. I know where she'd go. I'll just try one place, if she's not there then I'll text or call her," Derek smiled as he walked out of the room, stopping to place a quick kiss on Penelope's lips as she walked past him.

Ten minutes later Derek stood and watched as Kara raised her gun towards the target and released rapid fire bullets at the target. As she finished and brought the target paper forward, Derek slowly approached. He watched as she removed the ear plugs from her ears and called out to her. Kara removed the target paper and turned to look at him.

"Hey D, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to fetch you," he said, nodding in appreciation when he saw that she'd shot dead center with every bullet, "We've got a case, we're heading to Hawaii. We've got about forty minutes to be on the jet."

Kara nodded, "Can I just take a minute to gather my thoughts for a second?" she asked as she headed towards the picnic table just outside the building. Derek followed her and sat down on top of the table next to her.

"Hey Apple Head, what's up?" Derek asked.

Kara sighed, "I know that you know that I was thinking about leaving the Bureau and that I wanted Aaron to quit when I did," she started. When Derek nodded she continued, "And I know that you were shocked and a little upset by that idea, but Derek I've got seven kids that I think about everyday and my husband and I put them in danger every time we go after an UnSub, every time we pursue a serial killer. I don't think I can intentionally do that anymore, but, the worst thing is that even if we wanted to quit, we couldn't. Our lives, our children's lives would still be in danger, there are UnSubs out there who know where we live, they know everything about us. We'd still be in danger. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't. It seems that the only way for us to get out is through death and that scares me out of my mind."

Derek nodded his head in understanding, since having children his mind had oftentimes gone over the exact same details, "You can't let that type of thinking affect you. You just have to do your job and keep being the best wife and mother that you can be. It's all you can do," Derek explained.

Kara nodded and Derek watched as she closed her eyes and then gave herself a physical shake as if to snap herself out of her depressing reverie. She smiled at him and stood up, "Let's go and get ourselves an UnSub," she said, taking his elbow and walking with him to his truck. "I'll follow you back to the BAU," she smiled again. She closed his door after he climbed in and walked over to her SUV and started her engine. Sighing heavily she followed him back to the BAU on the phone the entire time putting plans in motion.

It only took the BAU team two days to find the UnSub, a sergeant whom all of the victims, now totaling five, knew, having served under him while in combat. Back on the plane Kara sat next to Penelope, the two women talking in hushed tones, the two of them gesturing, neither of them smiling. Their conversation came to an immediate halt as soon as someone got too close, thinking that the two of them were planning a party of sorts, the rest of the team gave them their space.

_Three Months Later_

Derek groaned in frustration when his phone rang, lifting his head, he released Penelope's lips and answered the phone. "JJ, you better have a damn good reason for calling me so early in the morning while I'm trying to make love to my wife," he growled into the phone, his tone teasing. His voice sobered instantly when he heard JJ silently sobbing. "JJ what's wrong?" he asked, sitting up quickly, Penelope grabbed his arm looking at him inquiringly.

"Derek, I'm so-so-so sorry. I-I just got-got a call," JJ's breath shuddered through the phone, "It was from the f-fire department and the police. T-There was an explosion at Kara and Hotch's house," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

Derek felt his body go numb at her words, "W-what? Are they okay? Are the kids alright?" he asked furiously as he jumped out of bed quickly throwing on his clothes, Penelope following suit, her movements frantic although she had no idea what was going on.

"The house was completely obliterated. Their cars are still there, t-th-there was no way that they could've survived," JJ finished, Derek could hear the sirens in the background and knew that she was at Hotch and Kara's place. Derek raced into the twins' bedroom and picked up Shemar, Penelope picking up Kirsten and they raced downstairs and into Penelope's car, Esther. Derek sped off towards the home of Kara and Hotch, the smoke and sirens reaching out towards them long before they arrived at the scene. Derek jumped out of the car after putting it in park and slamming the doors he raced towards the burning rubble. Struggling against the officers restraining him he yelled out, "This is my cousin's house!! KARA!! HOTCH!! SHE'S GOT KIDS! KARA!!" Derek threw his hands on his head as he stared at what remained of his cousin's home still burning, he turned as he heard the horrified screams of his aunt and uncle. Walking over towards them he sank to his knees before them and cried, "I'm sorry. I couldn't protect her, them. I'm so sorry." Penelope cried harshly as she watched her husband break down, turning as the rest of the team showed up one by one. Each one ran up, each one was stopped by the officers, each one burst into tears. The team had been shattered at the loss of Hotch and Kara, the backbone and heart of their team. They would never be the same. Their lives had been altered dramatically and as Derek was approached by a firefighter, he felt himself grow cold with fury, the firefighter held the fragments of a bomb in his hand. Kara had been worried about this and he'd brushed off her fears. She was gone and it was all his fault.

The memorial service for Aaron, Kara, Jack, Emerald, Elizabeth, Aaron Jr., Judith, Derek, and Shawn Hotchner was held that Saturday. The entire BAU team was in appearance, all of them wearing black. Kara's and Hotch's families and friends were all in attendance, members of the Bureau, agents from the Chicago office, teens that had been helped by Kara's group home, survivors who felt as if they owed their lives to the agents, the memorial service was greatly attended. The grief of the family's passing was shared by all, the church filled to the rafters with mourners. No one could truly believe that the Hotchners were gone and all struggled to deal with their grief in their own way. After the memorial service and after having Strauss tell them to take some time, the entire team dealt with their grief. Reid and Elle got married. Prentiss moved Jacob into her home and then adopted a child. Derek set out to spend more time with Penelope and their children. JJ and Will decided to have another child and got pregnant almost immediately and Rossi took over the management of Kara's group home. It took the team six months before they settled back into a semblance of normalcy, they were still grieving the loss of their friends and family members, but they knew that Hotch and Kara would want them to continue working.

_The One Year Anniversary of the Death of Aaron and Kara Hotchner_

JJ looked around at the rest of the team, all of them looking back at her in confusion, everyone except Penelope that is.

"What are you saying JJ?" Derek asked, his voice filled with exhaustion.

"I'm saying that this morning I was delivered a manila envelope. Inside the manila envelope was tickets for all of us, our spouses and our children. There was a map with a location marked on it, the name of a contact, and a letter," JJ said.

"Read the letter again because I'm just not following," Prentiss whispered in shock.

"_We are sorry for the grief that you experienced. It was never our intention to cause you any undue pain. However, your pain, your grief and heartache had to be real in order to be convincing. It has been a year and we are finally ready to see you. We feel as if there is no danger if you come to us. Please come for a visit, we look forward to seeing you. And please bring your families. Sincerely, Aaron and Kara Hotchner,"_ JJ read from the note again.

"This is bullshit," Derek said angrily, slamming his fists on the table. "Who would be sick enough to send us something like this?"

"I think we should go," Penelope said nonchalantly, refusing to meet the gazes of the rest of the team when they swung in her direction.

"What?! This is obviously a trap," Prentiss responded.

"Maybe not, maybe the UnSub or UnSubs want to make restitution, make recompense," Rossi reasoned.

"They can make restitution all they want. I'll give them an opportunity to apologize and then I'm going to put a bullet in between their eyes for killing my family," Derek stated firmly before standing up from the table, his movements angry and jerky.

"So we're going?" Reid asked.

"Yes, but we get hotel rooms and we leave our family members there while we go to the location," Rossi stated. The team agreed, the note, the tickets, and the map were all strange and they knew the only way to get to the bottom of it was to go and confront the UnSubs face to face.

Exiting the SUV that had been waiting for them with their contact Stephen, the BAU team looked around at the large ranch house the loomed before them. The house was in the farthest recesses of Witchita Falls, Texas. They'd driven almost twenty minutes off the main road before coming upon the house. The house stood three stories tall, there were horse stables, a garden, a barn, and what looked to be a firing range. As the team stood looking at the crop fields and their surroundings, the door to home opened and a cry of "Uncle Derek!" was heard. Their heads swung around and the team found themselves staring at Jack Hotchner, whose hair had been dyed black, followed by Emerald, Elizabeth, A.J., and Judith who all came down the stairs and toward them. Derek's voice caught in his chest as he looked at the children who were all hugging him and the rest of the team, his eyes filling with tears as he heard Prentiss and JJ crying. He looked up and saw Hotch and Kara standing in the doorway, Hotch's hair had been dyed blonde and Kara's hair had been dyed red, they stood holding Derek and Shawn, their faces smiling peacefully. The team gazed at them in amazement and Derek turned to look at Penelope hoping for a witty response but all he saw were tears, she smiled slightly at him, "I'm so sorry honey, I wanted to tell you, I wanted to tell all of you, but I couldn't. They needed this," she apologized.

Kara walked up to Derek and placed her hand on his cheek, "I'm so sorry D, but the only way we could get out was to die," she attempted to explain, "And don't blame Pen, she just pointed us in the right direction and then she helped us with getting new identities, but that was it." Kara smiled at the group, "Come in, we'll explain everything to you."

The team walked behind Kara, who wore glasses, a flannel shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots and they all struggled to smile un-forcefully at Hotch who also wore a cowboy hat, a flannel shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. "Alright kids, you know the rules, you can play outside, but you have to play out back," Hotch called out. The kids all laughed and took off around the back of the house. Hotch entered the house, putting Shawn on the floor and allowing the toddler to stumble over to his mother. He sat down next to his wife and watched the reactions of the rest of the team as they stared at the two former agents.

"We know that you're all upset, and you have every right to be. But while we were in Hawaii my mother called me to tell me that she'd noticed a guy watching the house. After everything that we'd been through, I knew that I couldn't go through anymore grief and danger. So I told Pen that I wanted Hotch, the kids and I to be able to disappear, with no trace. I told her that the only way we'd be able to do that would be for us to die. She tried to talk me out of it, but when I told her that I was determined and then I reminded her about Hayley and how she was still found and I told her about what had happened while we were in Hawaii, she agreed to help me. We hated for you all to mourn us, and we were at the memorial service. It hurt us more than you could ever know to watch as you all grieved, but we had to let it get out, we had to let the word spread that we'd been murdered. It was the only way to make sure that no one would be looking for us, no one would be after us, and the only way for it to be believed is if you all grieved as well," Kara explained.

The team looked at her in amazement, before the wonder that their friends were still alive seeped into their brains. "I'm so glad you're still alive Apple Head," Derek whispered, his throat thick with unshed tears.

"You can't call me Apple Head anymore Derek. Kara Ann Morgan-Hotchner is dead. But Laura Jean Thompson is alive and well," Kara admonished.

"Laura Jean Thompson?" Prentiss laughed.

"Yup, she's Laura Jean, I'm Bobby Ray, then there's our eldest, Franklin Joe, then the triplets, Bobby Jr, Mary Sue you all knew her as Emerald, Martha Ann you knew her as Elizabeth, there's Maybel Jean or Judith, and then there are our youngest boys David Ray once known as Derek Rossi, and Spencer Roy once known as Shawn Reid," Hotch said in his best country twang.

The team chuckled at Hotch's attempt at speaking with a Southern accent. "Now, we know some of what has happened over the last year. Reid and Elle got married and Elle's pregnant now. Rossi and Lauren are officially dating now. Prentiss and Jacob moved in together and Prentiss adopted a baby girl. JJ and Will just had a little girl two months ago. Derek and Penelope have created a scholarship in honor of Bobby and I," Kara said, using Hotch's new name, "And I know that you all have been working over at the group home and that Rossi's managing it," Kara smiled at everyone's look of shock. "Hey I have my own sources of information. Between my parents, Shawn and Kathryn who just had their first baby, my aunt Fran, Desiree, Sarah, and Jonathan who all found out about Bobby, the kids and I last month, I found out about all of you. But now I want details. So lay it on us," Kara laughed.

The team smiled, happy that Hotch and Kara were alive and well, and at peace. One by one they told them about their lives back in Virginia. They talked until late that night, having called for their spouses to come and bring the children soon after beginning their conversations. They all enjoyed a hearty dinner, before accepting Hotch's invitation to stay with them for the weekend. When the BAU team left at the end of the visit, they did it with smiles. Their hearts were lifted and their souls were at ease. They would return to Virginia and continue to hunt down criminals all with the knowledge that Hotch and Kara were just a short plane ride away, there for consults, conversations, and vacation. It helped to make their lives a little brighter.

_There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state to another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life.-Alexandre Dumas_

_**The End**_

***A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the story of Agent Kara Morgan. I enjoyed writing her story and enjoyed sharing my days with the BAU. I also enjoyed your reviews, you all totally rock! I'm writing another story entitled "Derek Meets His Match" it's totally different from this story and I'm enjoying writing more about Derek Morgan than Aaron Hotchner, I hope that you all will go and read that one as well. Thanks again and I look forward to more of your reviews! Keep profiling! Sincerely, VeeVeeBestoftheBest***


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